Cops Lebanese Jeweller May Have Overlooked Missing 40 Items

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Police are not ruling out the possibility of a Lebanese jeweller overlooking the 40 out of 44 items sent to Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor which it claims are missing
In view of this, federal anti-money laundering division chief Khalil Azlan Chik said police are willing to permit Global Royalty Trading SAL to re-examine the jewellery pieces seized from residences linked to the former premier
“We have no problem in allowing them to re-inspect the seized items but the firm must make an official request through the court,” he told Malaysiakini today
If there is such an order, Khalil said, police would allow them to inspect the jewellery items up close instead of through photographs as before
He said the firm was only allowed to view photographs due to security concerns."There is actually no procedure to allow them to see the items in person. Even if a single piece of jewellery goes missing during the inspection, we will be in trouble
"However, if the court instructs us to allow them to inspect the actual items, then we will follow what the court orders," he added
Yesterday, Global Royalty's lawyer David Gurupatham said his client only found four items after scrutinising the photographs
“The four are a diamond pear-shaped ring worth US$325,000 (RM1.3 million), a diamond oval ring (US$125,000 or RM514,125), a diamond oval bracelet (US$444,000 or RM1.8 million) and a diamond emerald bracelet (US$220,500 or RM906,916)," he told Malaysiakini
Global Royalty had filed a suit against Rosmah (photo) on June 26 last year, seeking the return of the 44 pieces of jewellery sent to her for selection
Failing which, the firm wanted her to pay the price for all the items amounting to US$14.79 million or almost RM60 million
The court had fixed Sept 17 and from Oct 21 to 24 for the trial of the suit and Aug 19 for case management in Kuala Lumpur
The 44 items were delivered to Rosmah in February last year
Following the 14th general election three months later, police raided the residences linked to Najib in relation to the 1MDB scandal and seized, among others, 12,000 pieces of jewellery
On May 7 this year, the Attorney-General's Chambers filed a notice of forfeiture over hundreds of items, including branded handbags and 27 vehicles seized from Najib, Rosmah, their three children and 13 individuals, as well as companies
Global Royalty had sought to become an intervenor in the government’s forfeiture suit against the items
Rosmah, in a letter dated May 22 last year, confirmed and acknowledged receiving the jewellery, but stated they were no longer in her possession and were seized by the authorities. - Mkini

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