(Bloomberg) -- Singaporean authorities are preparing to return about S$35 million ($26 million) surrendered by former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker Roger Ng and his family in connection with the 1MDB scandal to Malaysia, according to people familiar with the matter.
A Singaporean court in recent weeks cleared the way for the funds to be repatriated, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing sensitive information. A court order was granted March 21 to repatriate about S$35 million of "seized 1MDB-related monies to the rightful owner, 1MDB," the city-state's police said in an email reply to Bloomberg News. Ng's lawyer didn't respond to calls or an email for comment.
Ng faces charges in Malaysia and the U.S. for his involvement in $6.5 billion of bond sales that Goldman arranged for the troubled 1Malaysia Development Bhd. state fund. Authorities in several countries including the U.S. have alleged that much of the money raised was siphoned off to enrich politicians. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is currently standing trial on 1MDB-related charges in Kuala Lumpur.
Ng has denied wrongdoing. He was deputy to Goldman's former Southeast Asia Chairman Tim Leissner, who has pleaded guilty to U.S. charges including conspiring to launder money. Both men have been banned from the U.S. financial industry by the Federal Reserve.
Singapore in September ordered the first batch of misappropriated 1MDB money -- S$15.3 million which were recovered in various currencies -- to be returned to Malaysia.
--With assistance from Elffie Chew, Anisah Shukry and Yudith Ho.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Tan in Singapore at atan17@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Philip Lagerkranser at lagerkranser@bloomberg.net, Shamim Adam
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