Where is the jewellery sent to Rosmah, lawyers ask police

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 7 years ago · Published on 11 Oct 2018 7:02AM · 6 Comments

The lawyers of Lebanese and Saudi jewellers say they have been unable to get police to confirm that their clients merchandise were seized in May along with some 12,000 pieces of jewellery during raids on premises linked to former prime minister Najib Razak. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 11, 2018.

TWO foreign jewellers are in a state over the unknown whereabouts of millions of ringgit’s worth of jewellery that they said were delivered to Rosmah Mansor but for which they were yet to be paid.

Their lawyers said they had not been told by the police as to whether the items were seized in May along with some 12,000 pieces of jewellery during raids on premises linked to former prime minister Najib Razak.

Police had confiscated 2,200 rings, 1,400 necklaces, 2,100 bracelets, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras. The haul, the biggest in Malaysian history, was valued at RM1.1 billion.

Lebanese jeweller Samer Halimeh has filed a suit seeking compensation for 44 pieces of jewellery worth RM60 million he had handed over to Rosmah, for which she has not paid. Rosmah has filed an application to strike off the suit, saying anti-money laundering laws did not allow claims for assets that had been seized.

In his recent affidavit, Halimeh said he had yet to receive confirmation from police that they had possession of the jewellery in question.

Dubai-based jeweller Adi Hasan AlFardan is seeking to recover jewellery worth more than US$5 million (RM20.75 million), which was delivered to Rosmah. He also claims he has not been paid.

The missing pieces are a yellow diamond cushion-cut necklace, a pair of yellow diamond cushion-cut earrings and a yellow diamond heart-shaped necklace. 

His lawyer, Ashok Kandiah said two letters were sent to the police seeking the whereabouts of the jewellery but he had yet to receive a reply. He said it was stated in the letters that Rosmah had not paid for the pieces and that no title deeds were also stated that no payment was made by Rosmah and that the diamonds did not have no title deeds.   

In a letter dated July 7 to Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Amar Singh, l AlFardan’s lawyers wrote that their client met Rosmah on December 15 last year at the Grand Hyatt of Dubai to show her jewellery available for sale. 

After Rosmah requested AlFardan to deliver the three items to her in Kuala Lumpur, he made four trips to Malaysia - on December 20, 2017, January 30, February 10, and April 7 this year.

On three of the trips, he delivered jewellery items for her consideration, the letter, sighted by The Malaysian Insight, said.

Rosmah Mansor at the Islamic Fashion Festival Charity Gala at the La Salle Des Etoiles Sporting Club in Monaco in August 2010. The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak is reported to have extravagant tastes, especially for bling. – EPA pic, October 10, 2018.

Upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), individuals who identified themselves as officers from the Prime Minister’s Department met AlFardan at the arrival gate and escorted him through the immigration and customs checkpoints, the letter said. 

After the election, AlFardan travelled to Malaysia on June 20 to meet with Rosmah in Kuala Lumpur, where he was informed that the three jewellery items were among those seized by the police and she was in no position to pay for them, the letter said. 

In his dealings with Rosmah, AlFardan said he believed her to be a “person of prominence”, with a high net worth and integrity, the letter said.  

Ashok said the legal team is “hopeful” of a breakthrough, saying police should be able to identify and authenticate the items, as they were issued certificates by the Gemological Institute of America.

“We’re keeping all options open towards the recovery of the items or towards the value of the items,” the lawyer said. 

Meanwhile, a police source told The Malaysian Insight that the investigation into the seizures in May is still ongoing.

The source added there was no need to for the police to send any confirmation letter to the lawyers, adding the the items are still under police custody.  

“The police can hold items seized in connection with its 1Malaysia Development Bhd investigation until May,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

“There is no need to send anything to the lawyers.

“The deputy IGP Noor Rashid has explained this.”

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim had previously said the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 allowed the police to hold seized items for one year while investigations continued. – October 11, 2018.
 

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Comments

  • Don't blame the jewellers for not trusting PDRM (very few Malaysians do, so long as the force hasn't been thoroughly overhauled & rehabilitated). The speedy establishment of the IPCMC would be a first step towards this, along with handing the all-important home ministership to somebody else, preferably not a career politician, with impeccable credentials who isn't beset with medical issues nor too preoccupied with myriad other matters.

    Posted 7 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

  • All the fancy diamonds have been shipped out by relatives to safe locations. The ones picked up at Pavilion Residences are chicken feed for her like cheap bangles and rings. The witch is not dumb.

    Posted 7 years ago by CY W · Reply

    • This reminds me of the story of the monkey grabbing his catch in the coconut shell.

      Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • PDRM must have its reason for not responding to the jewellers. All the stuffs confiscated have been tag, itemised, inventory and accounted for pending the impending trials outcome. As for the jewellers as much as one can understand their predicament it was bad business practice on their part having delivered those items without having any deposits or collaterals. Obviously the jeweller management had sanction the delivery to certain prominent clients as I trust she is not the only one they provide such arrangement, its a service they provided willing seller and willing buyer arrangement without even having it pen on papers but merely a delivery sheet signed accepted by her representative. The business risk was created by the jeweller themselves thus to me they can shout as loud as they want it doesn't have any legal biding what so ever particularly to PDRM.

    Posted 7 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • CAN BE SAID TO BE STUPID JEWELLERS PLACING TOO MUCH TRUST ON ROSMAH

    Posted 7 years ago by CHEE Meng Ng · Reply

  • Can charge her for abusing power. Using PMO's officials to bypass Customs & Immigration, if this is not an abuse of power for her personal gains, tell me what it is?

    Posted 7 years ago by Tan Kenny · Reply