The US Department of Justice’s corruption investigation into Malaysia’s development fund 1MDB was one of the most significant in history. US prosecutors picked apart a web of schemes that unearthed bribery, money laundering and a brazen plot by individuals to enrich themselves as they looted 1MDB for billions of dollars.
The headline-grabbing investigation zeroed in on high-society businessmen and secured a record-breaking settlement with US investment bank Goldman Sachs. What’s more, the DOJ is seeking to retrieve billions of dollars from the scheme to return to Malaysia.
Behind-the-scenes, teams of federal prosecutors from LA, Washington, DC and Brooklyn worked together to bring their cases and unravel the wrongdoing. They also jostled with one another for control of the investigation’s direction. In interviews with GIR, those close tothe investigation recounted its important moments, from the successes to the squabbles. They spoke on the condition of anonymity so that they could talk openly.
