KUALA LUMPUR: The sessions court here today fixed Monday to decide on the application by former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, or Ng Chong Hwa, to be released on bail in the case to extradite him to the United States to face three criminal charges related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Judge M.M Edwin Paramjothy fixed the date after hearing the arguments of both parties regarding Ng’s application through his lawyer Datuk Tan Hock Chuan.
Tan told the court that he had a limited time of just one hour a week to see his client in jail, hence, he was appealing to the court to allow Ng, 47, to be released.
He said his client was ready to hand over his international passport to the court, as well as report himself to the police station, besides allowing the installation of an electronic device to monitor his movements.
Tan also informed the court that Ng suffered from Leptospirosis, and was believed to have contracted dengue and bacterial infections while in detention.
A letter to seek treatment for his client had already been sent to the prison authorities, he added.
The lawyer also told the court that Ng’s detention period ends today.
On Nov 1 last year, Ng was detained by the police and later remanded for 60 days pending the extradition request.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nik Syahril Nik Ab Rahman objected to the application on the grounds that it was not officially submitted by the defence and only done verbally.
Nik Syahril said that if there was a formal application from the defence, the issue of obtaining medical treatment could have been officially addressed.
On Dec 19, 2018, the sessions court postponed the hearing of the government’s application to extradite Ng because he was absent from court following a “misunderstanding”.
On Dec 12, 2018, the government filed an application to extradite Ng to the United States to face three criminal charges related to 1MDB and the application was made by the Attorney-General’s Chambers on behalf of the US government, who wanted Ng sent back to America to face the Federal Court in the eastern district of New York .
The High Court here on Dec 13 dismissed Ng’s application to be released on bail pending the hearing of the extradition request on the grounds that Ng may escape from the country and the case involved public and national interests.
On Dec 19, 2018, Ng pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to four counts of abetting Goldman Sachs over the sale of 1MDB bonds totalling US$6.5 billion (RM27 billion) by leaving out material facts and making false statements. — Bernama
