Malaysia wants billions from Goldman over 1MDB

Malaysia's new government would not be willing to accept even compensation of US$3 billion from Goldman Sachs in a settlement over the 1MDB scandal, the finance minister said, ruling out a figure that is far higher than the bank offered last year.

The Southeast Asian nation has charged Goldman Sachs and 17 current and former directors of its units for allegedly misleading investors over bond sales totalling US$6.5 billion that the US bank helped raise for sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who joined the three-month-old government from the corporate world, said he had held a conversation with Goldman Sachs representatives last month.

"We are continuing our pursuit to get some money from GS. And the legal case is still ongoing, so we will have to wait for the outcome of that," the minister said in an interview in his office in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

"If it's US$2 billion, I can say, no. US$3 billion, no," he added. "As long the amount is not something we think we can accept, then we continue with the legal case."

He declined to say what an acceptable sum would be.

Edward Naylor, Goldman Sachs's Asia head of corporate communications, declined to comment.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in December that Goldman Sachs had offered "one point something billion" dollars for an out-of-court settlement over it role in the scandal at 1MDB.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Goldman Sachs earned US$600 million in fees for its work with 1MDB.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.