KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia's finance minister yesterday said there are no talks with Goldman Sachs Group on the recovery of billions of dollars of state funds lost via the US bank's former client 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), local media reported.

"There are no discussions with Goldman Sachs but we will continue with the legal process conducted by the Attorney-General," Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng was quoted as saying by news site Malaysiakini. A ministry official confirmed the comment to Reuters.

Malaysia filed criminal charges last year against Goldman over its role as underwriter and arranger of three bond sales that raised US$6.5 billion (S$8.96 billion) for the now defunct state investment fund.

The US Department of Justice is investigating the bank for its role in the sales which involved fees higher than market rates.

It also estimated US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by fund officials and associates from 2009 through 2014.

In January, Mr Lim said the government would be ready to drop criminal charges against Goldman if the bank paid US$7.5 billion in reparations.

Malaysian prosecutors then filed criminal charges in August against 17 current and former directors at Goldman subsidiaries.

Goldman has denied wrongdoing, saying individuals at 1MDB and in Malaysia's former government lied to the bank, outside counsel and others about the use of the bond sale proceeds.

REUTERS