The Goldman Sachs banker convicted in the $4.5 billion 1MDB embezzlement scheme is suing his former boss for fraud and $130 million damages.
Roger Ng, who is appealing his April conviction, says Tim Leissner — an accused “double bigamist” and the estranged husband of Kimora Lee Simmons — lied repeatedly to steal cash and shares in Celsius Holdings, an energy drink company, and Sentient Technologies Holdings, an artificial intelligence business, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.
Leissner, who pleaded guilty in the 1MDB case and agreed to testify against Ng as the government’s star witness, used the money to pay for his own bail and satisfy a criminal forfeiture in an earlier case, Ng said in court papers.
Ng contends in the suit that he needs the money to pay for his appeal.
“Ng is in the unimaginable position of having to defend himself against allegations made by the person who defrauded him and who stole the money that … Ng needs to defend against those same allegations,” the suit alleges.
Ng was accused of working with Leissner and flamboyant Malaysian financier Jho Low to divert $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB fund. He and Leissner are to be sentenced in February.
Leissner’s lawyers did not immediately return a request for comment.