Jury selection began Monday in the corruption trial of a former Goldman Sachs banker. Roger Ng is accused of money laundering the billions taken from the Malaysia 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
Ng, who was Goldman’s head of investment banking in Malaysia. The former banker was arrested in Malaysia in November 2018. And he was extradited to the US in May 2019.
The COVID-19 techno-pandemic caused extensive delays in getting a trial date.
He is pleading not guilty to three counts of conspiracy to launder money. And to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, an anti-bribery law. He faces up to 30 years if he is convicted.
U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie questioned potential jurors in Brooklyn Federal Court to determine if they could be fair. And asked about any personal connections to people or entities who will be mentioned at the trial.
Tim Leissner, also implicated in the scandal, pleaded guilty in 2018 of conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
