Goldman Sachs' controversial $2 billion Islamic bond programme faced a fresh challenge as it appeared that at least two scholars named as potential approvers had not even seen the prospectus.
Asim Khan, an adviser to Goldman on the issue which needs approval from sharia scholars to be continued, confirmed media reports that three of the eight scholars listed as potential approvers had not responded to requests to support the issue, but he added that their lack of co-operation had no bearing on its sharia credentials. The three who had not responded are Daud Bakar, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Sulaiman Al Manea and Mohamed Ali Elgari.