PETALING JAYA: The star witness in the corruption trial of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng made a startling claim in the US federal court that there was bribery involved in Bank Negara's "unprecedented" approval for the transfer of US$1bil (RM4.18bil) in funds to PetroSaudi International.

       Tim Leissner claimed that Ng, a Malaysian, had told him about the bribery. However, he could not independently verify if it was true.

       According to the court transcript, Leissner said: “You have to understand that in 2009, Malaysia still had capital controls in place, which would require an investment of that size to be approved by Bank Negara in terms of the money leaving the country.”

       Asked who had to approve money leaving Malaysia back then, Leissner said Bank Negara would have to approve the US$1bil leaving the country.

       “And what Roger reported back to me was that he heard that the money had left overnight.

       “A billion dollars was wired overnight from Malaysia to the joint venture,” he said, adding that this was because a bribe had been paid.

       “No approval was obtained that quickly from Bank Negara,” Leissner claimed.

       Ng, 49, is charged with conspiring with Leissner and fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, to launder money embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, and violate U.S. anti-bribery laws.

       Leissner has also pleaded guilty to money laundering and bribery of foreign officials and is cooperating with the US for leniency at his sentencing.

       Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak posted a copy of the court transcript on Facebook Wednesday (Feb 23), in response to international news wires reports on the trial.

       On Tuesday (Feb 22), Leissner had testified that ex-Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein met Najib in 2009 ahead of US$6.5bil (RM27.2bil) in bond deals for 1MDB, and that the meeting came with an agenda.

       In return for the lucrative business, Goldman Sachs was to get Najib’s three children jobs at the bank, Leissner said.

       Najib also posted: “I wonder why the media is playing up my children’s jobs issue when Leissner’s statement in court also included allegations that BNM’s (Bank Negara) approval for 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) transferring US$1bil in funds to PetroSaudi and Good Star was given immediately,” he said.