NEW YORK: Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Tim Leissner is getting “harassing” questions on his love life 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 afternoon and aggressively questioned him about lies he had instructed prior to now, together with to his former wives and mistresses.
Prosecutor Drew Rolle on Wednesday instructed the choose in federal courtroom in Brooklyn, New York, that it was an excessive amount of.
“He has not denied having affairs and he will not deny having affairs, but the defence should be precluded from asking questions that go into the sordid details of his affairs,” Rolle stated to US District Judge Margo Brodie earlier than the jury arrived.
“He is harassing the witness,” Rolle stated 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 stated on Wednesday that questioning Leissner about his love life was truthful sport as a result of it went to Leissner’s credibility.
He famous that the previous banker acknowledged he had purchased a luxurious sports activities automobile and a number of homes, together with a US$10mil London dwelling, for a former mistress who was on the time the chief government officer of Astro Malaysia Holdings, a Goldman shopper.
Leissner has claimed that she blackmailed him into the acquisition.
“It’s not so much he was having an affair but everything he does is all a lie,” Agnifilo stated.
“He lies to both people and he lies to get what he wants. So far, he’s minimised the lying. All we’ve done is bring out the lies. This is not about lying, this is about credibility.”
During Leissner’s first day of questioning by Agnifilo on Tuesday, the previous banker admitted being married no less than 3 times 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
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