Applications were initiated in the United States pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1782 in support of Malaysian court proceedings arising from matters connected to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Section 1782 is a United States federal statutory mechanism that permits parties to obtain court-ordered discovery within the United States for use in foreign proceedings

The applications were brought before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and sought documentary and testimonial evidence from United States-based individuals and institutions, in particular Tim Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs banker who had pleaded guilty in the United States to offences including bribery in connection with 1MDB-related transactions. The discovery sought evidence concerning the alleged bribery arrangements and the identification of the officials said to have been involved, as well as relevant materials from Goldman Sachs.

The proceedings formed part of a coordinated cross-border evidentiary strategy in complex Malaysian litigation involving Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, utilising U.S. federal court processes to obtain evidence located within the United States for use in Malaysian court proceedings.