Govt’s bid to intervene in suit succeeds
KUALA LUMPUR: The government yesterday succeeded in its application to become an intervener in the suit brought by a Lebanese jeweller against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Senior federal counsel Alice Loke Yee Ching said judicial commissioner of the High Court, Wong Chee Lin, had allowed in chambers the application by the government to intervene in the suit.
“With this ruling, Global Royalty Trading SAL will have to amend its statement of claim to include the Malaysian government as the second defendant.”
She said the Attorney-General’s Chambers would study the suit before deciding on its next course of action.
The government had sought to be part of Global Royalty’s suit against Rosmah on the grounds that the jewellery belonged to the government and was bought with stolen money.
Rosmah was named as the suit’s sole defendant.
Global Royalty sued Rosmah on June 26, demanding that she return 44 pieces of jewellery allegedly sent to her for viewing or to pay the price for all the items, totalling US$14.79 million (RM60 million).
Global Royalty, which is an international wholesale jeweller, claimed that Rosmah had been its long-standing customer and that the firm would send consignments of jewellery to her on request.
She would evaluate or buy the items of her choice, which she would pay for on her own or through a third party.
The firm, which has been supplying jewellery to royalty and the rich and famous from all over the world, claimed that items not chosen would normally be returned and, sometimes, Rosmah would borrow the jewellery and return it to the plaintiff.
It also claimed that Rosmah would receive the jewellery personally or through its personnel or agents in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Dubai.
The firm claimed that on Feb 10, it 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.
It said during the handover, the defendant acknowledged and accepted the terms and conditions stated in Memorandum No. 926 relating to the items.
Global Royalty claimed that Rosmah, in a letter dated May 22, confirmed and acknowledged receiving the items, but said the items were no longer in her custody as they had been seized and were in the custody of the Malaysian authorities.
The firm claimed that it was the owner of the jewellery and the ownership had never been transferred to the defendant.
Global Royalty is seeking a court declaration that it is the legal owner of the 44 pieces of jewellery, and an order stating that the ownership of the items was never transferred to the defendant.
It also seeks a mandatory order for Rosmah to provide the list of jewellery seized, an order for the jewellery to be returned or, if not, Rosmah shall be held responsible for paying the price of the items.
Rosmah, in her statement of defence filed on July 23, denied purchasing the jewellery and said the items were delivered for her viewing by virtue of the fact that she was the wife of the then prime minister of Malaysia of the plaintiff ’s own accord and volition, and without there being any obligationfor her to purchase the jewellery.