If we all know the rest about former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner (and, because the financial institution may say, we don’t truly know a lot definitively), it’s this: The person tells a just right tale. Tales like: “Uh, how do you assume massive offers get completed at a spot like Goldman Sachs?” and “I’ve no thought who these kinds of girls I’m allegedly dozing with and/or married to are.”
Certainly, telling such tales is a component and parcel of Leissner’s post-Goldman profession as a cooperating witness for the federal government in the entire sordid 1MDB Malaysian bribery and kickbacks scandal that’s completed such a lot to drag Goldman’s title in the course of the dust. However that’s on no account what Leissner meant.
“I knew it used to be unlawful,” he stated. “I sought after this to be completed for Goldman Sachs. I sought after to be a hero at Goldman Sachs.”
And, he says, he knew that the higher-ups would glance the wrong way, as they did with the afore-alluded-to sexual shenanigans.
“At Goldman Sachs we have been tasked with at all times discovering new industry alternatives,” he stated.
Which brings us to the cause of Leissner’s present efficiency on (decrease) Broadway: the trial of his one-time subordinate, pal and alleged partner-in-crime Roger Ng, who Leissner says presented him to global guy of puzzle, just right occasions and just right style Jho Low.
Mr. Leissner stated Mr. Low hosted the 2012 assembly at his London condominium. There, Mr. Low described intimately all of the govt officers who can be paid bribes to ensure that Goldman to protected the rights to organize billions of greenbacks in bond choices for the 1MDB fund, Mr. Leissner testified.
Mr. Low additionally informed the previous Goldman executives that the bribe cash must come from the proceeds of the bond providing — and that they might get a few of the ones proceeds as smartly, in step with Mr. Leissner.
“Roger and I have been informed by means of Jho that we’d be looked after,” Mr. Leissner stated.
Anyway, a laugh as all that is, the true fireworks are set to start out as soon as direct exam ends.
Protection attorneys may just draw from a file that Goldman had put in combination presenting Mr. Leissner as a grasp con artist, whilst the financial institution used to be negotiating its personal maintain prosecutors and regulators. In his opening remark on Monday, Marc Agnifilo, one in all Mr. Ng’s attorneys, sought to name Mr. Leissner’s persona into query, calling him a “double bigamist” and claiming that he used to be two times married to 2 girls on the identical time.
It positive is just right David Solomon has one thing else to concentrate on this week.
Former Goldman Sachs Spouse Testifies at 1MDB Trial [WSJ]
A former Goldman Sachs banker says the plot to loot a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund used to be specified by 2012. [NYT]
Goldman CEO David Solomon raises monetary objectives, takes victory lap after crushing 2020 objectives [CNBC]
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