Najib's lawyers demand transparency over extradition request for Tim Leissner
Shafee Abdullah's law firm, Shafee & Co, has urged the Attorney-General's Chambers and the government to actively pursue Tim Leissner's extradition and provide a complete timeline of actions taken.
PETALING JAYA : Najib Razak's lawyers have raised alarm over the government's failure to disclose its apparent extradition request for former Goldman Sachs partner Tim Leissner, claiming the omission could have significantly affected their client's defence in the 1MDB trial.
Solicitors Shafee & Co said it was 'troubling' to learn that the request was made nine months ago but not mentioned to the court, the defence and the public until after Najib's case had concluded.
'The prolonged silence suggests the request was withheld during critical phases of the trial, depriving the defence of information that would have been highly pertinent – particularly the identities of the officials Tim Leissner admits bribing – which, if known to the defence, would in no small measure be evidence of an exculpatory nature for Najib,' they said in a statement today.
This comes after the Wall Street Journal yesterday reported that Putrajaya had submitted the extradition request to the US department of justice in August last year.
An Interpol red notice was subsequently issued in November, placing Leissner on alert for arrest in almost any country.
Sources also said that Malaysian authorities were pushing for his extradition before his possible return to his native country of Germany, where he may avoid prosecution.
According to his lawyers, Najib himself in 2023 filed a discovery application in the US to identify officials involved in the bribery, but it was delayed due to concerns that it would affect fellow Goldman banker Roger Ng's trial.
Ng, who was convicted in the US and sentenced to 10 years in prison, is now in Malaysia assisting local investigators.
The solicitors said Najib then sought to reopen the case in February 2025, but his efforts were denied by a US judge who raised concerns over Leissner's constitutional rights.
As such, the lawyers called on the Attorney-General's Chambers and the government to be more transparent and to fully pursue Leissner's extradition.
'Najib remains committed to cooperating with any genuine efforts to bring Leissner to Malaysia for trial and to reveal the truth to the Malaysian people.'
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