MACC files suit to compel law firms to disclose 1MDB US$6.5 bil bond settlement
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has filed an application to obtain documents related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) US$6.5 billion bond settlement between Goldman Sachs and the government of Malaysia.
The anti-graft body filed the application at the High Court on Oct 11 to compel Rosli Dahlan, Chetan Jethwani, and their law firms Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership (RDS) and Chetan Jethwani & Co. (CJ & Co.) to surrender the impugned documents.
RDS was the law firm representing 1MDB while CJ & Co. acted on behalf of Goldman Sachs.
Both law firms were also heavily involved in former prime minister and Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's criminal and civil matters.
MACC senior enforcement officer Mohamad Sabri Mohd Latif who is the plaintiff in the suit, said the commission had launched an operation codenamed 'Ops Canai' to investigate Rosli, who is suspected of receiving bribes from Goldman Sachs and laundering funds relating to the settlement.
"A raiding party went to the law firm to conduct their probe and confiscated documents pertaining to the investigation under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act and Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).
"However, Rosli refused to cooperate with us by stating that the documents were privileged communication between client and solicitor," he said.
The plaintiff is seeking, among other things, the letter of appointment for RDS and CJ & Co. as attorneys for 1DMB's and Goldman Sachs, respectively.
MACC is also seeking both the law firm's bank statement and official emails between RDS, CJ & Co, Finance Ministry, 1MDB, and Goldman Sachs.
Sources told the New Straits Times (NST) that a team of more than 10 officers from the commission raided the office of Rosli Dahlan Saravanan (RDS), located in Publika, Solaris Dutamas.
It is also learnt that the officers demanded the rights to obtain and seize a number of documents belonging to the firm.
Sumber : New Straits Times
