Lebanese firm files RM60m suit against Rosmah over 44 jewellery pieces
LAWYERS: SHE DID NOT BUY JEWELLERY
THE Attorney-General’s Chambers will intervene in the US$14.79 million (RM59.831 million) suit filed by a Lebanese jeweller against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
The wholesaler is suing Rosmah over a consignment of 44 pieces of jewellery, which were sent to her in February, and seized by the police in May.
Senior federal counsel S. Narkunavathy said this after the case was rementioned before senior assistant registrar Siti Faraziana Zainuddin yesterday.
She said the government believed it owned the jewellery as they were bought with stolen money.
“So, we will intervene,” she said, adding that the court had ordered Rosmah to file her defence the latest by July 23 and fixed July 27 for remention.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that the suit was filed last month by Global Royalty Trading SAL against Rosmah at the High Court here on June 26 through Messrs David Gurupatham and Koay.
The report said the Beirutbased firm alleged that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s wife was a long-standing customer and that the company sold jewellery around the world, including to royal families.
Global Royalty claimed that the company used to send consignments of jewellery to Rosmah for her to evaluate and purchase, and to be paid by her or a third party. It said jewellery that were not chosen would be returned.
Global Royalty alleged that Rosmah sometimes borrowed the jewellery, and she or her agent would receive them in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Dubai.
It claimed that a handover memorandum with terms and conditions would accompany each jewellery consignment.
It said 44 pieces of jewellery were sent to Rosmah on Feb 10. They included diamond necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and a tiara, each costing between US$124,000 and US$925,000.
The company claimed that Rosmah, in a letter dated May 22, acknowledged receiving the items.
“However, it is no longer in her custody as it had been seized by the Malaysian authorities,” the statement read.
Terms and conditions of the memorandum included the delivery and return of the jewellery, and that the title of the jewellery remained with the consignor, the owner of the items.
In the suit, Global Royalty sought a declaration from the court that it was the rightful owner of the jewellery.
It sought a mandatory order for the items to be returned or, alternatively, if the items cannot be returned, that Rosmah pays the amount stated based on the value of the jewellery. Case management will be held today.
In May, the police raided and seized cash and jewellery from two condominium units linked to Najib.
Rosmah’s lawyers said she did not buy any of the jewellery.
“All of the jewellery itemised in Global Royalty Trading SAL’s statement were sent to our client for her viewing and none were purchase. The allegation that the jewellery were bought with stolen funds is untrue,” her lawyers, K. Kumaraendran and Geethan Ram Vincent, said. They said they would take action to protect Rosmah’s interests.
On Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun’s statement that Rosmah had not filed any request for the return of seized jewellery, the lawyers said the seizures were not carried out in Rosmah’s presence, and that no list of impounded items had been filed to her.
They said a request seeking permission to inspect and identify the seized items had been rejected by police.
“Our client wants to ascertain the items seized and identify her belongings, as during the raids, items belonging to our client’s daughter and son-in-law were also confiscated. It is only fair that Rosmah be given permission to identify her personal belongings. We hope the police will be fair to our client.”
It was reported that police had seized the jewellery and other items as part of their probe into the 1MDB scandal.
Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Datuk Seri Amar Singh was reported to have said that the items seized were worth RM1.1 billion.