Aliran calls for forensic audit on Goldman Sachs settlement

 

Reform movement Aliran has called for a forensic audit to be conducted on the Goldman Sachs settlement reached with the Malaysian government over 1MDB in July 2020 when Muhyiddin Yassin was prime minister.

The group in a statement said the present administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should look into the reported US$2.5 billion settlement and a US$1.4 billion undertaking for assets recoverable, a figure significantly lower than a US$9.6 billion estimate made by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas.

Citing excerpts from Thomas' memoir, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’, Aliran questioned whether there was a separate agreement reached with the higher figure.

"Aliran urges the Anwar-led government to look up the previous administrations’ records.

"Did Goldman Sachs agree to a much higher figure with the Malaysian government before Muhyiddin’s settlement?" asked the group.

"If so, was there an agreement signed between the government and Goldman Sachs for this higher sum?

"If there is such an agreement in existence which was not revealed to the public, we urge Anwar’s government to make the agreement public."

Aliran added that the government should focus any probe into allegations contained in Thomas' memoir on the specific chapter on Goldman Sachs.

Last month, Titiwangsa MP Johari Ghani had similarly called for a probe into the settlement, saying Malaysia has been short-changed in the matter.

Johari at the time said Goldman Sachs as the financial adviser and lead manager for three bonds issued by 1MDB worth US$6.5 billion had earned US$606 million in fees in the process. - Mkini