Pua Tells Pm To Dispel Claims Of Hefty Fees For Goldman Sachs Settlement

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Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should exercise transparency in the multi-billion ringgit Goldman Sachs settlement to dispel claims that Putrajaya had paid hefty fees for lawyers engaged in the matter.
Damansara MP Tony Pua said this is to ensure that Muhyiddin’s legacy will not be tainted.
“The prime minister must end his elegant silence over the matter and provide the transparency he preached to end the doubts that have been raised over the matter once and for all.
“While his government may have unnecessarily signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Goldman Sachs over the settlement, the fees 1MDB had paid to its professionals would not be covered under the NDA and can be revealed to Malaysians,” he said in a statement.
Bersatu has vehemently denied claims that huge legal fees were paid in the Goldman Sachs settlement so that they could be kicked back to the party.
Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan had lambasted a police report lodged by Kuang assemblyperson Sallehudin Amiruddin's office alleging the party received RM500 million in "commission" or settlement.
Wan Saiful described it as an attempt to "character assassinate" Muhyiddin. Sallehudin is aligned to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Parti Pejuang Tanahair.
Yesterday, Rosli Dahlan, a lawyer close to Muhyiddin, also lodged police reports against Sallehudin and former Umno supreme council leader Lokman Adam, alleging criminal defamation.
Lokman had made similar allegations of impropriety in the settlement.


Pua said such claims are "unsettling" and urged transparency.
"Despite vehement criticisms by the opposition and the civil society in and out of Parliament, the Muhyiddin government has steadfastly refused to unveil the terms of the settlement with Goldman Sachs, which was deemed unsatisfactory," he said.
"The failure to do so will only ensure that Muhyiddin’s legacy will soon be as tainted as that of Najib’s.
"There can be no bigger irony if funds which were painstakingly recovered from Goldman Sachs, a process which started under the Pakatan Harapan administration, to repay the enormous debts of 1MDB caused by Najib’s kleptocracy, are now being siphoned in part for the benefit of Muhyiddin and Bersatu’s political interest," he added.
De facto Law Minister Takiyuddin maintained Malaysia was bound by a confidentiality clause.
Goldman Sachs was responsible for arranging three bonds totalling US$6.5 billion in 2012 and 2013 for 1MDB. The funds were substantially misappropriated.
Details of the settlement for Goldman Sachs' role in the 1MDB scandal have not been disclosed but the general outline was that the US bank must pay US$2.5 billion (RM10.35 billion) and will also guarantee the return of US$1.4 billion (RM5.8 billion) in assets acquired using stolen 1MDB funds. - Mkini

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