Overview
- In New York federal court, Judge Margo Brodie described Leissner’s conduct as “brazen and audacious” and credited his extensive cooperation in deciding the sentence.
- Leissner pleaded guilty to conspiracy violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering tied to the misappropriation of $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign fund.
- His testimony and provision of electronic evidence were instrumental in the conviction of former colleague Roger Ng and in pursuing charges against fugitive financier Jho Low.
- Goldman Sachs underwrote $6.5 billion in bonds for 1MDB and resolved US charges in 2020 with a record $2.9 billion fine alongside executive compensation clawbacks.
- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a 12-year prison term following his conviction for corruption and money laundering connected to the same scandal.