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☆ Malaysia halves jail sentence of ex-prime minister Najib
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Najib Razak, Malaysia's former prime minister, gestures as he leaves the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia, on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. The board, chaired by Malaysia's king, did not give a reason for halving Najib's sentence. It said if Najib failed to pay the fine given, an additional year would be imposed on his jail term. Malaysia's king plays a largely ceremonial role but can pardon convicted people among discretionary powers granted by the federal constitution. The pardons board, which advises the king, includes the attorney-general and government officials.

Persons: Najib Razak, Anwar Ibrahim's, Anwar, Najib, Malaysia's, Jho Low, Al, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, Sultan Abdullah, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar Organizations: United National Malays Organisation, 1Malaysia Development, Saudi Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Johor .

☆ Malaysia Cabinet Discusses Najib Pardon Bid, but Won't Announce Outcome - Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

It will be at the discretion of the Pardons Board to announce its decision, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said at a press conference on immigration and labour issues, which was packed with media seeking news on Najib's clemency bid. Najib requested a royal pardon shortly after beginning his sentence in 2022 and after exhausting all other appeals. Najib's lawyer and representatives, as well as Malaysia's attorney-general, a member of the pardons board, did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. "Let us not jump the gun, let us wait for an official statement to be made," Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said at a separate press briefing. U.S. and Malaysian investigators estimate around $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion channeled to accounts linked to Najib.

Persons: Danial Azhar, Najib Razak, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Najib, Prime Minister's Department Zaliha Mustafa, Najib's, Fahmi Fadzil, Jho Low, Nooryana Najwa Najib, pensively, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, 1Malaysia Development, Prime Minister's Department, Communications, Saudi Locations: KUALA LUMPUR

☆ Fugees rapper Pras Michel's ex-lawyer botched his fraud trial by using AI for closing arguments, his new legal team says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

David Kenner, an attorney known for representing Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, and Snoop Dogg, ran Michel's defense for the trial. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut Michel's new lawyers, a legal team from ArentFox Schiff, now say Kenner botched the defense by using an "experimental artificial intelligence program" to draft his closing arguments. "Michel never had a chance," the ArentFox Schiff team wrote, adding that Michel's legal defense was "deficient throughout." Michel's lawyers said his former publicist told them about Kenner using EyeLevel.AI to write the closing arguments. Kenner and the ArentFox Schiff team did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Pras Michel, David Kenner, Kenner, —, Michel, Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, ArentFox Schiff, Schiff, EyeLevel.AI Organizations: Service, Suge, Kenner, Kenner Law, Daily Locations: Malaysian, EyeLevel.AI, Encino , California, New York City, EyeLevel

☆ Explainer: Goldman Sachs and its role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. 1MDB was a sovereign fund set up in 2009 with the help of Malaysian financier Jho Low to promote economic development. The United States has said the 1MDB case was its largest ever kleptocracy investigation. Low, a fugitive, has been charged in Malaysia and the United States over his central role in the case. Goldman has been investigated by regulators in at least 14 countries for its role in underwriting the 1MDB bond issues.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, Najib Razak, Goldman, 1MDB, Jho Low, Najib, Low, GOLDMAN, Tim Leissner, Roger Ng, Goldman's, Anwar Ibrahim, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Goldman Sachs, Malaysia, Malaysian, 1Malaysia, U.S . Department of Justice, The United, DoJ, United Malays National Organisation, GOLDMAN, London Court, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, KUALA LUMPUR, The United States, Malaysia, United States, China, Beijing, MALAYSIA, Malaysian

☆ Former Goldman banker Ng to be returned in Malaysia in 1MDB case
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a letter filed on Thursday in Brooklyn federal court, U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to order Ng's surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by Friday so he could be turned over to Malaysian law enforcement, who would transport him to their country. The case stemmed from about $6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013. Goldman settled with authorities in October 2020, agreeing to pay $2.9 billion and having its Malaysian unit plead guilty to a corruption charge. Ng had been arrested in Malaysia in November 2018, and agreed to be extradited to the United States.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Roger Ng, Ng, Ng's, Ng Chong Hwa, Goldman, 1MDB, Margo Brodie, Tim Leissner, Jho, Jonathan Stempel, Richard Chang Organizations: U.S . Marshals, U.S, Malaysian, Thomson Locations: New York, Brooklyn, U.S, United States, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian, Malaysia . U.S, 1MDB, Malaysia

☆ Former Goldman banker Ng to be returned to Malaysia in 1MDB case
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng and his lawyer Marc Agnifilo leave the federal court in New York, U.S., May 6, 2019. Marshals Service by Friday so he could be turned over to Malaysian law enforcement, who would transport him to their country. The case stemmed from about $6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013. Goldman settled with authorities in October 2020, agreeing to pay $2.9 billion and having its Malaysian unit plead guilty to a corruption charge. Ng had been arrested in Malaysia in November 2018, and agreed to be extradited to the United States.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Roger Ng, Marc Agnifilo, Margo Brodie, Ng's, Ng, Brodie, Ng Chong Hwa, Goldman, 1MDB, Tim Leissner, Jho, Jonathan Stempel, Richard Chang 私 Organizations: REUTERS, Chief U.S, U.S . Marshals, U.S, Malaysian Locations: New York, U.S, Brooklyn, United States, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian, Malaysia, 1MDB

"The United States is also working to ensure that the procedures governing the defendant's return to Malaysia will not unduly delay the service of his U.S. sentence," prosecutors said. Ng's lawyers agreed to the one-month delay, prosecutors said. The case stemmed from about $6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013. Agnifilo said at the hearing that Malaysia wanted Ng's cooperation with an ongoing 1MDB probe. Ng was arrested in Malaysia in Nov. 2018 and agreed to be extradited to the United States three months later.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Margo Brodie, Roger Ng's, Marc Agnifilo, Goldman, 1MDB, Ng, Brodie, Drew Rolle, Agnifilo, Malaysia's, Tim Leissner, Jho, Luc Cohen, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Malaysia, United, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, New York, Brooklyn, Kuala Lumpur, United States, U.S

☆ Jho Low could create a new world of 1MDB pain: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MUMBAI, Aug 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The fugitive at the centre of Malaysia’s sovereign fund scandal, is in China. In this Exchange podcast Billion Dollar Whale co-author Bradley Hope explains why Beijing may soon give him up and how his return could be difficult for all involved, from global banks to celebrities. Listen to the podcastFollow @ugalani on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews' podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Pranav KiranOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Bradley Hope, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, China, Beijing

☆ The Fugees reunite for what may be their last performance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The trio make up the hip hop group the Fugees and fans have long wanted them to reunite. But Michel is facing up to 20 years in prison after being found guilty in April in federal court in Washington, DC, on 10 criminal counts related to an international conspiracy. The Grammy winner was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the US, witness tampering and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. On Saturday, the Fugees performed their classics including “How Many Mics,” “Ready or Not,” “Killing Me Softly” and “Fu-Gee-La.”They had split in 1997. In 2021, they announced they would be reuniting for a tour in celebration of their 25th anniversary of forming.

Persons: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, Michel, Jho Low, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, “ Fu, ”, “ Organizations: CNN Locations: Philadelphia, Washington ,, Malaysian

☆ Ex-aide to 1MDB fugitive Jho Low dies weeks after questioning
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Reuters) - A former aide to Malaysian fugitive Jho Low - wanted for his central role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB corruption scandal - has died weeks after being questioned by Malaysian authorities on Low's whereabouts, his lawyers said on Wednesday. He was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on arrival and had his house searched, media reported. Malaysian authorities have previously said Low was believed to be in China, though Beijing has denied that. Low has been charged in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly masterminding the theft of $4.5 billion from now-defunct fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who co-founded 1MDB, was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year for graft linked to the scandal.

Persons: Jho, Kee Kok Thiam, Valen, Kee, Al Jazeera, Al, Low, Najib Razak, Hasnoor Hussain, Rozanna Latiff, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Malaysian, Partners, Malaysian Anti, Corruption, 1Malaysia Development, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysian, U.S, Malaysia, Macau, 1MDB, China, Al Jazeera, Beijing, United States

☆ Fugees rapper convicted in US over lobbying campaigns with Malaysian financier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Nathan HowardWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents. Low, who also faces separate federal charges in New York that he embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, remains at large. Because federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to U.S. campaigns, prosecutors said Michel masked the source of the funds. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money," Michel told the jury, describing the payment as "free money." On whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, Michel told jurors that his attorney George Higgenbotham never told him it was required by law.

☆ Pras Michel found guilty in scheme to help China influence US government
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In his defense, Michel testified he never used the money at Low’s direction but instead saw it as his money which he could spend however he wanted. According to the prosecutors, Low directed over $100 million to Michel to help push the government, including Trump, to drop its investigation into Low. Prosecutors also say Michel advocated for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, on behalf of the Chinese government. Michel, however, testified he only tried to help Low find an attorney in the US and only told authorities about Guo because he thought he was a criminal. Low, who was charged along with Michel, is believed to be in China.

☆ Fugees star says money from Malaysian financier was for Obama photo, not campaign donation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Michel faces criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance charges for allegedly plotting with Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Michel said he used some of the funds for three friends to attend $40,000-a-plate fundraisers for Obama. "When you received the money from Jho Low, you used it to make political contributions," federal prosecutor John Keller said in a Washington court. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money." Michel is accused of involvement with Low in three schemes, for which prosecutors say he was paid millions of dollars.

☆ Pras Michel: Former Fugees rapper testifies in his own trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

According to Michel, Low had asked him in 2012 to set up a picture of Low and Obama. Michel told Low to give him $1 million and he would think about how to make that happen. “I thought that I could just give my friends” money to contribute to the campaign, Michel told the jury. A prosecutor told Michel during cross examination that funneling donations through other individuals is illegal. Prosecutor John Keller also asked Michel about funds to help Low find an attorney, which Michel contested was not illegal.

☆ Ex-DOJ lawyer tells jury he met with Chinese to further illegal lobbying campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time friend. But he did so anyway, telling the jury he let his friendship with Michel cloud his judgment. "This could get me in a lot of trouble," he told the jury he recalled thinking, adding that his actions were "definitely outside of official lines." Higginbotham, who pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role in the foreign influence campaign, testified that Justice Department investigators later found out about his meeting and questioned him. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in conspiracy and fraud trial of Fugees rapper Pras Michel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Leonardo DiCaprio testified in a high-profile trial of Fugees member Pras Michel. Low helped finance the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street" that DiCaprio starred in. Federal prosecutors claim Michel funneled money from Malaysian businessman and fugitive Jho Low to illegally contribute to President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection. "Wow, that's a lot of money," DiCaprio recalled telling Low at the time. Michel faces several charges, including conspiring to make and conceal foreign campaign contributions and witness tampering.

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in Fugees rapper's lobbying trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DiCaprio is one of several prominent figures linked to Low, who is suspected of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. Michel faces 11 criminal counts for trying to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said Michel agreed to funnel money into Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and hide the source of the funds. Prosecutors said Michel later waged an illegal influence campaign to persuade the Trump administration to stop investigating Low. Michel and other co-conspirators are also accused of lobbying the Trump administration at China's behest to return Guo to China.

☆ Fugees rapper Pras Michel was 'willing to break any laws necessary to get paid' in alleged international fraud scheme, prosecutor said
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The conspiracy and fraud trial of American rapper Pras Michel kicked off on Thursday. Prosecutors alleged that Michel was involved in an international scheme to influence the US government. Michel is accused of working with Malaysian businessman and fugitive Jho Low. "Low had money to burn and the defendant was willing to cash in at any turn," Lockhart said. McMaster, casino mogul Steve Wynn, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the 2013 film "The Wolf Of Wall Street" that Low helped fund.

[1/5] Grammy award-winning Fugees rapper Prakazrel (Pras) Michel, who is facing criminal charges in an alleged illegal lobbying campaign, arrives for opening arguments in his trial at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., March 30, 2023. "This is a case about foreign money, influence and concealment," Lockhart said during her opening statement in Washington on Thursday. "Through this scheme, the defendant duped the Obama campaign," Lockhart told the jury. For his work on these two lobbying campaigns on behalf of Low and China, prosecutors said Michel was paid $70 million. Low remains a fugitive in the Michel case.

NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ordered former Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) banker Roger Ng to forfeit $35.1 million, after sentencing him to 10 years in prison for helping loot billions of dollars from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. Jho Low, a Malaysian financier and suspected mastermind of the scheme, was also indicted but remains at large. Goldman settled with authorities in October 2020, agreeing to pay $2.9 billion and having its Malaysian unit plead guilty to a corruption charge. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted in a Malaysian court of receiving $10 million from a former 1MDB unit. Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-Goldman banker sentenced to 10 years prison in 1MDB corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted by a Malaysian court of receiving $10 million from a former 1MDB unit. He spent six months in a Malaysian prison before waiving his right to contest extradition to the United States in 2018. He pleaded guilty and testified against Ng as part of a cooperation agreement. Malaysian officials have said Low is in China, which Beijing denies. In October 2020, Goldman agreed to pay $2.9 billion and its Malaysian unit pleaded guilty to a corruption charge.

☆ Ex-Goldman banker Ng sentenced to 10 years prison in 1MDB corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ ExodusPoint is on the comeback trail after a rocky 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's the beginning of the month, which means a chance to see how the top hedge funds are performing. But the top dog among large multi-strategy hedge funds was ExodusPoint. Click here to check out the performance of top hedge funds like Citadel, Millennium, and Point72. Working on Wall Street is so bad this woman left to clean up crime scenes. Stacey Foyster detailed how after a decade on Wall Street in risk analysis, she opted for a career change.

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio was interviewed by the FBI over his relationship with a Malaysian businessman involved with the 1MDB scandal, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian were interviewed by the FBI in 2018 and 2019, Bloomberg reported. The stars had received gifts from Jho Low, who is accused of masterminding the 1MDB scandal. Earlier, DiCaprio had to return a number of gifts given to him by Low, including an Oscar won by Marlon Brando. On Thursday, Bloomberg revealed previously undisclosed documents which show the FBI interviewing DiCaprio in 2018 about his relationship with Low. Representatives for Kardashian and DiCaprio did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside normal working hours.

[1/2] Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng exits the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse (EDNY) after being found guilty for his part helping embezzle from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoNEW YORK, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Roger Ng, the former Goldman Sachs (GS.N) banker convicted for helping loot Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, on Friday sued the government's star witness Tim Leissner for more than $130 million, alleging fraud. A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Ng in April of conspiring to violate an anti-bribery law and commit money laundering. Jho Low, a Malaysian financier and suspected mastermind of the looting, was also indicted in Brooklyn and remains at large. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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