Eight Months On Cops Yet To Identify Lebanese Jewellery

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Eight months since a condominium raid last May, police are still finding it a problem to identify the 44 pieces of jewellery worth US$14.79 million (RM60 million) claimed to be owned by Lebanese jewellery Global Royalty Trading SAL Ltd

The haul came into the public spotlight after it was revealed that the jeweller had sent it to former premier Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor. It was among other various jewellery and valuables recovered by the authorities in the raid on three Najib-linked residences
This was disclosed to High Court judicial commissioner Wong Chee Lin during case management for a suit filed by Global Royalty against Rosmah for the return of the jewellery
Following the disclosure by the court today, Rosmah's lawyer Rajivan Nambiar told reporters that he would be applying for a stay of proceedings scheduled for next month pending the lapse of the seizure order by police
Expiry of a seizure order is 12 months after an order to freeze is made as stipulated under Section 52A of the Anti-Money-laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activity Act 2001, which in this case will be somewhere in May
Wong also directed the police, which the court has listed as an intervener in the Lebanese jeweller's suit, to file its defence to the suit before Feb 25
The court then fixed Feb 25 to hear Rosmah's application for a stay of the proceedings
Lawyers David Gurupatham appeared for Global Royalty Trading, while federal counsel Shaiful Nizam Shahrin appeared for the police
Initially, Wong had fixed March 4 and 5 for the hearing of the suit
'Regular client'It was previously reported last July that Global Royalty had sued Rosmah for RM60 million over the missing jewellery which was sent on consignment to her in February last year
In its statement of claim, the Lebanese firm had listed Najib's wife as their regular client
The items include necklaces, earrings, rings and a tiara, and were said to have been acknowledged as received by Rosmah
Global Royalty claimed that as in previous years, the company would send a consignment of jewellery to Rosmah on request for her to evaluate and purchase, and for them to be paid either by her or a third party
The company said pieces of jewellery that were not chosen for purchase would be returned
Global Royalty further alleged that at times, Rosmah would borrow jewellery and that she or her agent would receive them in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Dubai
Her lawyer maintains that his client did not buy any of the jewellery
Police said the items seized from the condominium were worth RM686 million, comprising among others 2,200 rings, 1,400 necklaces and more than 500 handbags. - Mkini

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