By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters – Former Goldman Sachs partner Tim Leissner (NYSE:) has confessed to receiving $60 million in kickbacks. Leissner also admitted lying to the bank regarding corrupt deals and forging divorce documents twice to marry new women.

Leissner, despite his past of deceit is still the most important witness the prosecution is asking jurors believe in the trial Roger Ng. Roger Ng was a former colleague and friend of Leissner at Goldman. He is accused with conspiring to steal Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign fund. This scheme ran from 2009 through 2014.

Leissner pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy to launder money, violating an anti-bribery statute and agreed to cooperate. Ng, 49 years old, has pleaded not guilty and is being tried in Brooklyn federal court.

Leissner testified in more than a week, describing his glamorous lifestyle and how 1MDB deals helped him to be a star. He also described the steps that he took not to get caught.

Leissner (52), said that he hopes coming out will “clear my chapter in life.”

Leissner said, “It is not the proudest moment of my life. But at that time, I wanted more money. Even though I was well paid.”

These charges relate to $6.5 billion worth of bonds Goldman sold 1MDB in 2012 and 2013. According to the prosecution, $4.5 Billion was taken by officials and bankers in order to finance one of Wall Street’s biggest crimes.

In 2020, Goldman agreed to pay $3 billion in fines and that its Malaysian subsidiary would plead guilty before a U.S. judge. According to Goldman, the bank did not properly “scrutinize certain representations made by members of the deal group.”

Leissner stated that Ng, Goldman’s Malaysian banker, was secretly in touch with conspirators, and received kickbacks.

Marc Agnifilo is Ng’s attorney and argues that Leissner falsely incriminates Ng to reduce his sentence. Leissner assertions, according to the prosecution, are supported by additional evidence.

Leissner claimed that he used the kickbacks to buy a $11.5 million yacht 170-ft in length, New York apartments, and an investment into Inter Milan, the Italian soccer club.

He met Kimora Lee Simmons in 2013. She is an American model who was also the ex-wife to Russell Simmons. He said that they set up a date for their wedding before Leissner filed for divorce from another woman.

Leissner stated that throughout it all, he worried privately about getting caught. Leissner stated that while working on the 1MDB final bond deal, he worried that the opposition might win the election and conduct an investigation.

Leissner stated that the ruling party was victorious, however, he felt anxious by negative press coverage about 1MDB. FBI agents issued a subpoena to him in February 2016. He stated that he was looking for a greencard to move to Los Angeles to be with his family.

He was however arrested on June 2018 He claimed he plead guilty in order to reduce his sentence because he knew it would endanger his chances of getting a greencard. According to her lawyers, he is now estranged from Lee Simmons.

Leissner stated, “I hope I don’t need to go to jail,”