NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG): Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Tim Leissner is getting “harassing” questions on his love life by a defence lawyer for his alleged 1MDB co-conspirator Roger Ng, the prosecution complained.
Leissner, who pleaded responsible in 2018, is the federal government’s star witness within the case towards his former Goldman subordinate Ng. Marc Agnifilo, Ng’s lawyer, started his cross-examination of Leissner on Tuesday (March 1) afternoon and aggressively questioned him about lies he’d informed up to now, together with to his former wives and mistresses.
Prosecutor Drew Rolle on Wednesday (March 2) informed the choose in federal court docket in Brooklyn, New York, that it was an excessive amount of.
“He has not denied having affairs and he won’t deny having affairs, however the protection must be precluded from asking questions that go into the sordid particulars of his affairs,” Rolle mentioned to US District Judge Margo Brodie earlier than the jury arrived.
“He is harassing the witness,” Rolle mentioned of Agnifilo.
Ng is the one Goldman banker to go on trial within the 1MDB scandal. According to prosecutors, he and Leissner helped Malaysian financier Jho Low siphon off billions of {dollars} from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund in change for kickbacks. Low, who was additionally indicted, stays a fugitive.
Agnifilo mentioned Wednesday that questioning Leissner about his love life was honest recreation as a result of it went to Leissner’s credibility.
He famous the previous banker acknowledged he’d purchased a luxurious sports activities automobile and a number of homes, together with a US$10mil (RM41.9mil) London dwelling, for a former mistress who was on the time the chief government officer of Astro Malaysia Holdings, a Goldman shopper.
Leissner has mentioned she blackmailed him into the acquisition.
“It’s not a lot he was having an affair however the whole lot he does is all a lie,” Agnifilo mentioned.
“He lies to each folks on the identical time and he lies to get what he needs. So far, he’s minimised the mendacity. All we’ve accomplished is deliver out the lies. This isn’t about mendacity, that is about credibility.”
During Leissner’s first day of questioning by Agnifilo on Tuesday, the previous banker admitted being married not less than thrice and acknowledged divorcing one spouse with out telling her.
Leissner additionally testified he twice cast divorce decrees to get married. He wed former mannequin Kimora Lee Simmons whereas he was nonetheless married to his second spouse. – Bloomberg
