The bribery scandal rocked the United Nations and snared former General Assembly President John Ashe.
A federal court in New York found Ng Lap Seng guilty on Thursday, following a month-long trial.
Ng was accused of paying bribes to former U. N. General Assembly President John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda and Francis Lorenzo, the former deputy U. N. ambassador from the Dominican Republic, in exchange for official support to set up a multibillion-dollar U. N. conference center in Macau.
Ng paid more than $1.3 million in bribes to the U. N. officials, according to the U. S. Attorney’s Office. He was found guilty on several charges related to bribery and money laundering, each of which carry maximum sentences ranging from five to 20 years in prison.
During the trial, Ng’s attorneys reportedly called the case, «a big zero, » claiming he was manipulated by Ashe and Lorenzo.
Ng plans to appeal the verdict and raise «substantial legal issues, » his lawyer Tai Park said, according to Reuters. Park did not immediately respond to a request for comment after business hours.
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