Top level Goldman Sachs executives and their legal team are reported to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur to meet Attorney-General Idrus Harun who heads a special task force charged with recovering monies linked to the state investment fund.

“The prospects of getting a settlement are strong after both sides have agreed on key parameters in recent weeks that are needed to move forward,” according to a report in the Straits Times daily in Singapore, quoting an unnamed government official said to be close to the situation.

The resumption of talks with Goldman Sachs was said to represent “a major breakthrough” for a campaign to recover billions worth of assets and funds that was allegedly diverted from 1MDB.

The report said negotiations with Goldman Sachs, the US Justice Department and the Abu Dhabi government had been left “in varying stages of limbo” because of “missteps” by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, and also the collapse of the PH government in February.

The daily said senior legal advisers to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin believed there was no guarantee the government would win legal battles filed by the PH government instead of negotiated settlements.

Malaysia might be left with little to show as the US Justice Department was pushing ahead for a full resolution of civil forfeiture suits and ongoing criminal indictments against those involved in the deals.

In March it was reported that a total of RM1.4 billion was recovered by the task force, while another RM6.9 billion had been identified.

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