Officials at Goldman Sachs Settle the $79.5M Shareholder Claims Concerning 1MDB Scandal

Directors and officers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. agreed to settle the $79.5 million claims by shareholders over the bank’s connection to the 1MDB looting scandal. The shareholders claimed that the bank’s poor oversight contributed to the loss of funds, citing it as a conscious error by the officials.

The Manhattan federal court received a lawsuit on Friday after the shareholders filed for the preliminary settlement. This process needs Vernon Broderick, a U.S District judge’s approval, to be finalized.

Goldman Sachs, the defendant, expected to receive USD 79.5 million from its insurer. The funds would facilitate the application of governance and compliance measures, such as strengthening the empowerment of the head compliance officer and developing a hotline through which employees could give tips anonymously.

According to U.S prosecutors, Goldman Sachs assisted 1MDB in preparing the sale of bonds worth $6.5 billion, diverting $4.5 billion to kickbacks and bribes to bankers, government officials, and other involved parties.

David Solomon, the Chief Executive of Goldman, and Lloyd Blankfein, his predecessor, took responsibility for “conscious disregard of their oversight obligations.” According to shareholders like the Fulton County Employees’ Retirement System, based in Atlanta, the bank also ignored the “red flags” of the fraudulent activities.

Roger Ng, a former banker from Goldman, was found liable for the crimes of money laundering and bribery in a New York court proceeding on April 8. He was convicted of conspiring with other parties and participating in the scandal.

All the defendants declined to admit their participation in the crimes and instead agreed to the settlement. Maeve DuVally, the spokesperson of Goldman, withheld her comments on the case, declining to answer any questions.

Goldman Sachs had recently signed an agreement with the U.S Department of Justice in 2020, accepting a deferred prosecution consensus that would last three years. The bank had also agreed to remit billions of dollars to settle the 1MDB case with other countries and the United States.

The Saxena White firm guided the lawyers representing the shareholders to demand a payout of $79.5 million, branding it the company’s outstanding recovery. This settlement went down in the history of New York’s federal courts as the second largest derivative settlement for shareholders.

From this settlement, the lawyers’ fees amount to $19.9 million, an equivalent of 25% of the total amount.