MACC freezes former Astro group CEO Rohana Rozhan's assets after 1MDB-linked blackmail claim

PETALING JAYA: Assets and a bank account belonging to former Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan have been frozen by anti-graft investigators.

The freeze order was made as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) began to probe claims of her receiving the house that was bought using money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

"The freeze order was issued as part of the investigation.

"It was made so that no transactions involving the account or the house can be made while investigation is ongoing," a source told The Star on Friday (Feb 25).

Online portal MalaysiaNow said the order was made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) under Section 44 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act.

Rohana is being investigated following the claim by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner that he had been blackmailed into buying her a US$10mil (RM42mil) home in London.

The portal claimed that Rohana may have paid for the London house using half of the amount allegedly given by Leissner, while the remainder was kept in an account in the UK.

Under the freeze order, Rohana will not be able to make any transactions linked to her UK bank account or the said home.

Earlier, Rohana issued a statement confirming that she had met with the MACC.

"I refer to allegations appearing in the media about me.

"I've attended the offices of MACC and given them my full cooperation in their investigations," she said.

According to a report by Utusan Malaysia, the MACC had taken a statement from Rohana at its headquarters in Putrajaya at 9am on Thursday (Feb 24).

The anti-graft agency is said to have opened an investigation following testimony by Tim Leissner in a US federal court in the trial of Malaysian Roger Ng, who is accused of conspiring to launder money and violate an anti-bribery law involving 1MDB funds.

Quoting a source, the Malay daily reported that the MACC’s investigation was being conducted under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

On Tuesday (Feb 22), Leissner testified that he had gifted a media CEO, with whom he had an affair for a decade, a US$10mil (RM42mil) home in London.

He claimed his ex-lover had blackmailed him into buying her the London home and threatened to expose his involvement in 1MDB. The relationship lasted from 2003 to 2013, he told the jury.