By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon EDNY Vlog
Honduras - The Source - The Root - etc WeaselText
EDNY COURTHOUSE, March 23 – In the 1MDB scandal Inner City Press live tweeted a proceeding in August 2020, here and below.
On January 28, 2021 Ng Chong Hwa, a.k.a. “Roger Ng" was applying to be released on a curfew. Inner City Press live tweeted it here.
On January 26, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie held another proceeding. Inner City Press covered it, and now begins to cover the trial.
On February 15 Inner City Press went to EDNY. No electronics, not in the overflow courtroom. (So standup VLOG in Cadman Plaza afterward here).
On February 22, Inner City Press again went to EDNY, for testimony by cooperator Tim Leissner. While no electronics in the overflow courtroom, it was able to quickly tweet a thread when the trial day ended, here.
On February 23, Inner City Press yet again went to EDNY, for more direct testimony by cooperator Tim Leissner. It was able to quickly tweet a thread when the trial day ended, here.
On February 24, Leissner described his yacht and deal(s) with Russell Simmons. At the end, a discussion of marital privilege and travel ban. Inner City Press ran down, before vlog from outside, to tweet from the Media Room, here and below.
On February 25 there was a short conference which Inner City Press live tweeted here
On February 28 Judge Brodie held a proceeding with a slew of white collar crime lawyers, and decided the trial will continue on March 1. Inner City Press live tweeted here.
And on March 1, the cross examination of Leissner by Ng's lawyer began. Inner City Press live tweeted, here
(and March 1 vlog oustide EDNY courthouse, here)
On March 2, Leissner admitted to lying about meeting UAE Prince Mansour (and citing the Crown Prince); Goldman Sachs gave a job to the daughter of Malaysia's then Ambassador to the US. Inner City Press, after reporting on UAE's absentions and opacity in the UN, went to EDNY then tweeted a thread from the media room, here (then vlog, here)
On March 3, Leissner spoke more about UAE Sheikh Mansour's letter and GCC royals bidding on an expensive underwear firm. Inner City Press went into EDNY then tweeted a thread from the Media Room, here (then vlog, here)
Note: At end of day and week, Judge Brodie said that a juror overheard journalists talking about the Jho Low / Ng trial in the EDNY lobby, told them to stop.
And at the end of another week, former Goldman Sachs compliance man Patrick Kidney laid blame on Ng for after expressing suspicion still doing business with Low. But what about the UAE royals, and the UN which kept Malaysians' money?
Another week, and the end is nearing, the glitz running thin amid non-answers by the UAE Mission to the UN on its role, and from the UN on where the money to its affiliates went, and why none had been returned to Malaysians. On March 17 Kirk Godby, a marketing executive at the Las Vegas VenetianKirk Godby, a marketing executive at the Las Vegas VenetianKirk Godby of the Las Vegas Venetian testified that Roger Ng was with Jho Low at a baccarat table at 5am on November 29, 2010 when Low burned through $1.75 million. Ng, the defendant, lost $22,500. The US Attorneys say they aim to rest their case on March 23. Judge Brodie told jurors they could begin deliberating around March 29.
Early on March 22 Ng's lawyers put in a letter opposing the US introduction of a Goldman Sachs exhibit, even in redacted form: "Dear Chief Judge Brodie: We write to address the concerns that counsel raised earlier today regarding the Goldman Sachs trainings materials and policies that the government seeks to introduce through Caroline Fraser. One exhibit (GX-551 at 54) even has a picture of a Chance Card from the game Monopoly that states: “Go directly to jail.” Full letter on Patreon here.
On March 23, FBI agent Sean Fern testified that some $24.4 million was switched from an account controlled by Leissner’s ex-wife, Judy Chan Leissner, to another held by Ng’s mother-in-law Tan Kim Chin, just after Goldman Sachs colluded in a bond deal involving the 1MDB fund. $10.7 million arrived in Tan’s offshore account.
But where is the stolen money Jho Low gave to United Nations affiliates? How can they get away with keeping it, and the UN of Antontio Guterres and his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming be allowed to refuse all questions about it, daily written questions from Inner City Press which they still ban?
Back on March 14, FBI agent Eric Van Dorn laid out the US government's estimate of who stole what. Not surprisingly, Jho Low now in China was at the top, with $1.42 billion. Najib despite his protestations came in at $756 million while his son in law, and Wolf of Wall Street financier, Riza Aziz took $238 million.
Notably, while even the government for whom he is cooperating says Goldman Sachs' Tim Leissner stole $73.4 million (of which he's returned, supposedly, only $43.7 million), the defendant he is cooperating against, Roger Ng, allegedly stole $35.1 million.
On the much air-brushed UAE front, Khadem al-Qubaisi is said to have taken $472.8 million and an Aabar-ite on whom we'll have more took $76.6 million. And the other UAE royals and diplomats? The UAE Mission has yet to answer a single written question, and colludes with the UN of Antonio Guterres in banning the Press that asks.
Aziz had to return $60 million he put into the Wolf of Wall Street. So why hasn't any of the money put into UN affiliates, including well documented and even publicized transactions by Jho Low (including to the UN Foundation) been returned? We'll have more on this.
Some Q&A: Ng's lawyer: So UAE and GCC royals were trying to buy La Perla. What's that? Tim Leissner: It's a high end underwear company. Ng's lawyer (perhaps disingenuously) What's GCC? Tim Leissner: The Gulf Council. The Arab states around the Gulf
Q: So did you have UAE Sheikh Mansour's letter to PM Najib on you when you were arrested at Dulles 6/10/18? TL: Yes. I kept it on my person for years. Q: Did you give it to the FBI then? TL: No, only when I was up in NY. Q: Where is it now? TL: With my wife in LA.
Q: Jho Low's birthday party in Vegas, let's go over the invitation list, people from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Kuwait, oh and Aruba. Is Ng on the list?
TL: No, but he was there. I saw him in the lobby. Q: You saw Swizz Beatz give a gift to Jho Low? TL: Yes.
Q: Kate Upton danced, but you told the FBI that Roger Ng was most excited about Bradley Cooper being there? Tim Leissner: I don't remember telling the FBI that.
Ng's lawyer: I think we're at a transition point and could end.
Inner City Press is covering it, for project #TheWeaselOfWallStreet in a time of war
Inner City Press remains on the case. New song here
Ng's counsel submitted a letter: "Dear Chief Judge Brodie: We write in response to the government’s February 20, 2022, letter (Dkt. 147) requesting that the Court preclude Mr. Ng from introducing an exculpatory banker’s notation contained in a June 13, 2012, Capital Place bank record." Full letter on Patreon here.
Late on February 27, from the US, this: "Dear Chief Judge Brodie: The government respectfully submits this letter in response to the defendant’s attempt to (1) obtain certain documents that the prosecution team has never possessed or reviewed and which were designated by an independent privilege review team as attorney-client privileged material on the privilege log provided to the defense on February 25, 2022 (the “Challenged Documents”) and (2) use at trial the content of marital communications between Tim Leissner and Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner." Full letter on Patreon here.
From Feb 24: Cooperator Leissner STILL on direct and there'll be a break before cross.
Leissner said from his ill-gotten gains he bought a $50 million yacht, and passed on to Ng, in total, $35 million. So why does Leissner have the cooperation deal? Leissner says he has an investment vehicle with Russell Simmons, called New Horizons. Also used dirty money to invest in Inter Milan soccer team and Celcius Holdings energy drink company.
Leissner says after Jho Low kept getting denied by banks on KYC, Jho wanted to start his own bank and Leissner was willing to help. Jho was concerned that "the Federal Reserve Bank" was looking into him, Leissner testifies.
Leissner describes moving $80 million - in Euros - to Bahamas then into a US shell company named "Key Way Pride" (?)
Leissner with his ill-gotten gains bought a girl friend an apartment in London, and himself an apartment on 68th St and Madison Avenue in NYC
Goldman Sachs cooperator Tim Leissner investment money he stole from the people of Malaysia in... All Def Digital alldefdigital.com
Leissner said he tried to get Jho Low into Banque Havilland, since he (Leissner) knew the chairman
Update 3:44 pm - OK *now* the trial day is over. After Judge Brodie let the jury go, she inquired into discovery and Malaysia travel ban (lifted?). There are marital privileged documents US will give to Ng's lawyers to see if they want to use them, then litigate
On that, there's be a telephone conference tomorrow which Inner City Press should be able to better live tweet (perhaps alongside a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine with a near-certain veto).
Then a Feb 24 EDNY vlog here;
a Feb 23 EDNY standup here.
Before, a Feb 22 EDNY stand-up, here.
And see, TheWeaselofWallStreet, new Jho Low Blues here
On February 18 the US filed a redacted letter to Judge Brodie, that "The government respectfully submits this letter to notify the Court of the status of the government’s efforts to determine whether the defendant’s wife, is subject to a travel ban and, if so, how this ban may be lifted for purposes of having her testify at this trial. As brief background, on January 26, 2022, the defendant filed a motion in limine requesting that defense witnesses and (the defendant’s brother-in-law) be allowed to testify remotely via CCTV. ECF No. 122 (“Ng Br.”). In support of his argument that was unavailable to testify in person, the defendant argued that Malaysia had prohibited her from traveling to the United States. Ng Br. at 4-5. The government opposed the defendant’s motion, arguing that any purported unavailability of may be obviated." Full letter on Patreon here.
On February 19, Ng's lawyers replied: "Dear Chief Judge Brodie: We write to correct aspects of the government’s letter filed yesterday concerning the ongoing efforts to secure the live trial testimony of (Dkt. 145.) As an initial matter, the government misunderstands the process of lifting the travel ban. The defense team has been told in the clearest terms that the only way that Malaysia will lift the travel ban is if the United States government makes such a request. Indeed, on February 3, 2022, the United States government represented to the Court and counsel that it was making such a request, a fact that corroborated the information told to counsel. On a phone call on February 18, 2022, the government for the first time said that the onus to lift the travel ban is on the person banned, which is, we believe, incorrect and inconsistent with the information provided to us and to the Court. Nonetheless, we will be making a formal request to the Malaysian Attorney General’s chamber when that office opens on Monday morning (Malaysia time) to lift the travel ban for However, without the meaningful input of the government, we are assured that any request by alone will be unsuccessful. Therefore, we also set forth additional details relevant to the travel ban and related issues that both the government and the Court should know. This will permit the government to be more effective hopefully in prompting the Malaysian government to lift the travel ban and in securing testimony at this trial. In assisting the defense in lifting the travel ban, the government should know that the ban has been put into place by two different law enforcement entities in Malaysia, each of which would have to agree to lift the ban for it to effectively be removed. First, the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) must agree to lift the ban. Second, the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) must also agree to lift the ban. Securing the agreement of one agency without the other will cause the ban to remain, we are told. Therefore, any efforts at lifting the ban must be directed at both the CCID and the MACC."
On February 15 on the stand Strategic Marketing Group's Cummings about money paid out to party with Jho Lo and and in at least one case Roger Ng. $150,000 to Leonardo DiCaprio, money to P. Diddy, Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx.
Ng's lawyer, on cross, asking about a notation for wrangling models, and "models" in quotes.
On February 16, Tim Leissner testified on direct that "the bribes and kickbacks made the transactions possible" and "instantaneously make us heroes" at Goldman.
Now, delay: the trial is not sitting on February 17 because of a juror’s prior commitment - and will resume on Tuesday morning with Leissner still on direct.
Inner City Press is taking the steps it can to cover this and other EDNY cases more closely. Watch this site.
On January 26 it emerged that if any juror is unvaccinated, no member of the public - or press? - will be allowed in the courtroom. Is this, then, a public trial? There were also arguments about an account run by Ng's wife, and a statement that there are no jury trials in Malaysia. But is the US, or EDNY, moving to trials with no public or press in the courtroom?
It seems so. On February 10 Chief Judge Brodie confirmed no public or press in the courtroom - but did not address why no call-in line, despite saying everything possible is being done to provide access. From the order, quoting what Judge Donnelly did in the R.Kelly case:
"as Judge Ann Donnelly noted in Kelly, “even a seat in the courtroom does not guarantee that there never will be a technical problem, or that observers will have unobstructed views of every participant in the trial.” Memorandum at 2, Kelly, No. 19-CR-286; see also United States v. Barrow, No. 20-CV-127, 2021 WL 3602859, at *11 (D.D.C. Aug. 13, 2021) (rejecting the defendant’s argument that his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated because members of the public viewed the proceedings from an overflow courtroom and stating that, “[a]s a practical matter, a spectator viewing a trial from the courtroom gallery would not have a perfect sight line of each angle of the courtroom — let alone each individual juror”); United States v. Babichenko, 508 F. Supp. 3d 774, 779–80 (D. Idaho 2020) (noting that a “video feed of the proceedings will give the public a much better view of the witness testimony, exhibits, and examination, than they would have at a satellite [in-person] location”). “To the extent that this measure is a partial limit on public access, it is warranted by the [Court’s] ‘overriding interest’ in ensuring public safety during a global health pandemic.” Memorandum at 2, Kelly, No. 19-CR-286 (quoting Press-Enter. Co. v. Superior Ct. of Cal., 464 U.S. 501, 510 (1984)); see also Press-Enter. Co., 464 U.S. at 510 (“The presumption of openness may be overcome only by an overriding interest based on findings that closure is essential to preserve higher values and is narrowly tailored to serve that interest.”); United States v. Bledson, No. 20-CR-99, 2021 WL 1152431, at *3 (M.D. Ala. Mar. 25, 2021) (“In light of the pressing health and safety concerns posed by an open trial [during COVID-19], the [c]ourt finds that it has advanced an overriding interest.”)... There is no reasonable alternative to the protocols adopted by the Court.” Memorandum at 3, Kelly, No. 19-CR-286." We disagree - a call in line is possible, and necessary.
Watch this site - Inner City Press is increasingly covering the EDNY, see here and here and more.
On January 7, Judge Brodie agreed that Ng should get back $750,000 of his $1 million bond, to pay his lawyers. This was over the objection of the prosecutors, who said Malaysia only agreed to release Ng in light of the $1 million bond.
Talk turned to COVID and Omicron. Ng's lawyer acknoweldge that the variants has reached the defense, "maybe even me." Still he agreed to the new delayed trial date of February 7. Watch this site.
AUSA: We are concerned that Mr. Ng would or could flee, if no longer confined to him home.
Judge Margo K. Brodie: Would he flee back to Malaysia from which he consented to extradition?
AUSA: As we approach trial, as he sees the 3500 evidence, it is a concern.... We conferred with our office of International Affairs and this is where we ended up.
Pre-Trial Services Ms. Carter: We don't object to a curfew, but location monitoring should continue.
Ng's defense lawyer: We don't believe your Honor is bound by, or party to, the treaty.
Judge Brodie: I will go with Pre-Trial and allow a curfew. The 2d Circuit's recent decision in Schwartz said the court delegated too much to Probation. So I'll set hours.
Ng's lawyer: Curfew from 8 pm to 8 am?
Judge Brodie: OK. Subject to Pre-Trial. Let's get together in a month, or really, mid-March since the administration order runs through March 1. March 18 at 10 am. Adjourned.
Jump cut to December 21, 2021 - Ng's counsel says he wants the grand jury materials about Malysian money laundering. He is also pushing back against having to preview for the government how he will do cross-examination with materials the government already has.
Inner City Press will stay on this case.
From October 22, "today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Goldman Sachs entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Sections (the Department) in connection with a criminal information filed in the Eastern District of New York charging the Company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. GS Malaysia pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to a one-count criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Previously, Tim Leissner, the former Southeast Asia Chairman and a Participating Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ng Chong Hwa, also known as “Roger Ng,” former Managing Director of Goldman and Head of Investment Banking for GS Malaysia, has been charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ng was extradited from Malaysia to face these charges and is scheduled for trial in March 2021. All four cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie of the Eastern District of New York."
For those counting, HSBC also got a deferred prosecution agreement. And the Federal Reserve, in the shadows, has let Goldman Sachs into bank, and rubber stamps mergers like by Banco Bradesco to this day. From August 2020:
OK - in EDNY, 1MDB / Malaysia defendant EDNY Ng Chong Hwa, a.k.a. “Roger Ng" charged with conspiring to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1Malaysia Development is before Judge Margo K. Brodie. Inner City Press will live tweet - thread
Judge Brodie says there is a back-up of cases caused by COVID19, no assurance this trial can go forward in January 2021. Says won't have real info in September - even if protocol is in place, it will still be being tested. AUSA points out extradition from Malaysia
AUSA says a status conference in early October would be fine "even if the trial is moved a little bit." Defense lawyer: I understand the difficulties of the court. But I'd like to convince the government or your Honor to loosen Mr Ng's conditions of home detention
Defense lawyer: Malaysia is not allowing Americans into the country at all, at least until September. This is a challenge we face. We'd like Mr. Ng to get out a bit more, and exercise. Judge: I think the parties should work that out.
The case is US v. Jho, et al., 18-cr-538 (Brodie)
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