PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The extradition of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng to the United States may be postponed as he has to first face charges in Malaysia, Malaysia's Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday (Feb 19).
"I have been advised by the Attorney-General for Ng to face charges in Malaysian courts first. So perhaps the extradition will be done slightly later," said Tan Sri Muhyiddin in response to queries on the matter.
Muhyiddin said the extradition will be carried out eventually but the priority is for cases involving Ng in Malaysia to take their course first.
Ng has been detained in Kuala Lumpur since Nov 1, shortly after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against him for allegedly laundering funds siphoned off from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund. He left Goldman Sachs in 2014.
Last Friday, a Malaysian court said Ng will be allowed to return to the US to face criminal charges against him there.
Ng had agreed to waive extradition and would be sent to the US pending an order from the Malaysian Home Affairs Ministry, judge Edwin Paramjothy Michael Muniandy said, according to Reuters.
Ng's lawyer Tan Hock Chuan asked for the order to be issued within 30 days. It must be issued within three months under Malaysian law.
Ng has claimed trial in the US to four counts of abetting with Goldman Sachs over the sale of 1MDB bonds totalling US$6.5 billion by leaving out material facts and making false statements.
Ng had reached an agreement with the DOJ on bail and other terms, Tan said.
Marc Agnifilo, Ng's New York-based lawyer, told Reuters ahead of the hearing that his client intended to plead not guilty when he appears in a US federal court.
