Former Astro CEO agrees to return US$10m assets gained from Leissner

Former Astro chief operating officer Rohana Rozhan has reportedly agreed to return US$10 million in assets that she gained from the former chief of Goldman Sachs' Southeast Asia operation, Tim Leissner.

This came from a source close to the MACC as quoted by Utusan Malaysia that the MACC is now actively acquiring the funds after Rohana had agreed to hand over assets from Leissner gained using the 1MDB funds.

"The process of obtaining the assets is actively being carried out by the MACC at this time," added the source yesterday.

Leissner was the star prosecution witness in the 1MDB trial of Malaysian former banker Roger Ng - who has now been convicted of corruption charges related to his role in helping loot hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB.

The disgraced banker claimed to have provided Rohana with US$10 million - which she had used to acquire a US$7 million property in Montpelier Street, London.

Leissner also claimed that he had a decade-long relationship with Rohana and that she had threatened to expose his role in the 1MDB scandal if he failed to fulfil her demands.

“If I didn’t buy her a house, she would tell authorities about my involvement in the 1MDB scandal. She had threatened to expose me. At the time, in 2013, I was very fearful of that,” he testified.

This allegation had prompted an MACC probe on Rohana - who had vowed to extend her full cooperation.

The case is believed to be investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla). - Mkini