Rosmah denies buying RM60m gems
KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has denied purchasing any of the 44 pieces of jewellery totalling US$14.79 million (RM60 million) sent to her for viewing by a Lebanese wholesale jewellery firm.
Rosmah said this in her statement of defence filed through Messrs Geethan Ram at the High Court here in a suit filed by Lebanese firm Global Royalty Trading SAL. The firm is based in Beirut.
The legal firm, in a press release, said: “Our client did not purchase any of the jewellery which is the subject matter of the said suit. Hence, the legal titles in respect of the jewellery were never passed to our client.”
The firm said the jewellery in question were delivered for Rosmah’s viewing by virtue of the fact that she was the wife of the prime minister of Malaysia on the plaintiff’s own accord and volition and without there being any obligation for Rosmah to purchase the jewellery.
It said the suit filed by Global Royalty as the plaintiff had contravened the provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
“Accordingly, the said suit filed by Global Royalty against our client is clearly unlawful, frivolous, vexatious and/or an abuse of the court process. In the circumstances, the position taken by Global Royalty that our client is liable to indemnify them monies in the sum of RM59,831,317.40 is misconceived and without any legal basis,” it said.
The legal firm said its client would make an application to the court to strike out the suit.
Rosmah was also represented by counsel Datuk K. Kumaraendran, Rajivan Nambiar, Reza Rahim, Lavania Raja and Revin Kumar.
The High Court had fixed the suit for case management on July 27 and directed Rosmah to file her statement of defence by July 23.
On June 26, Global Royalty sued Rosmah demanding her to return the jewellery allegedly sent to her for viewing or to pay the price for all the items.
In its statement of claim, Global Royalty claimed that Rosmah had been its long-standing customer and that the firm would send consignments of jewellery to her on her demand.
She would then evaluate or purchase the items of her choice, which she would pay on her own or through a third party.
The firm, which supplies jewellery for royalties and the rich from all over the world, claimed that the items not chosen would normally be returned and in certain situations, Rosmah would borrow the jewellery and return them to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff also claimed that the defendant would receive the jewellery personally or through its agents in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Dubai.
The firm claimed that on Feb 10, it had sent 44 pieces of jewellery, including a diamond necklace, earrings, rings, bracelets and a tiara, each worth between US$124,000 and US$925,000, to the defendant by hand through two of its agents.