MACC source: Ex-Astro CEO to return US$10mil obtained from Leissner

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd group CEO Datuk Rohana Rozhan has agreed in principle to return the US$10mil (RM42.3mil) she received from her ex-lover and Goldman Sachs banker, Tim Leissner.

A source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the graft-buster was currently working to recover the money.

"MACC is now actively pursuing reacquisition of the assets,” said the source, quoted by Utusan Malaysia on Tuesday (April 12).

Leissner, a former partner with Goldman Sachs in Asia, pleaded guilty in 2018 to a conspiracy to launder money and became the US prosecution’s star witness against his former colleague at Goldman, Roger Ng.

During case proceedings in February, Leissner told a court in New York that he gave Rohana US$10mil (RM42.3mil) from funds misappropriated from 1MDB, and the former Astro CEO used the money to buy a house worth US$7mil (RM29.6mil) in London.

Following that, the MACC began investigating Rohana, while she released a statement saying she was ready to assist the authorities in their investigations.