A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. vice president testified that he never passed confidential tips to a friend who says they conspired to make thousands of dollars by trading on inside information. In an unusual move in fraud trials, Brijesh Goel took the stand in federal court in Manhattan Friday. He defended himself against testimony by his friend Akshay Niranjan, the government’s star witness. Niranjan explained over three days how they made approximately $280,000 in illegal profits by trading on confidential information provided by Goel. The trial, which started last week and has pitted the two bankers against ... (full story)