KUALA LUMPUR: A wholesale jeweller from Lebanon has filed a suit against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, demanding that she pay US$14.57mil (RM67.46mil) for violating a contract involving 43 pieces of jewellery sent to her five years ago.
The plaintiff, Global Royalty Trading SAL, which is based in Beirut, filed the suit through Messrs David Gurupatham and Koay at the High Court here on March 29.
The suit named the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the sole defendant.
In its statement of claim, Global Royalty claimed that Rosmah, 71, had said in her affidavit and statement of defence that 44 pieces of jewellery, including diamond necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and tiaras sent to her by the company’s agent had been seized by Malaysian authorities for offences under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
According to Bernama, the company said only one of the 44 pieces of jewellery was kept by the police and the remaining 43 pieces were not in the custody of the authorities.
Facing the heat: Global Royalty said it was the duty of the defendant (Rosmah) to take care of all the jewellery and keep them safe. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
“The defendant failed and was negligent to return to the plaintiff the remaining 43 pieces of jewellery amounting to US$14.57mil which were sent to the defendant on Feb 10, 2018,” it said.
The plaintiff said based on the Letter of Undertaking signed by Rosmah dated May 22, 2018, she admitted that the jewellery pieces were in her possession and then confiscated by the Malaysian government.
“However, in the company’s efforts to recover all 44 pieces of jewellery, only one of these could be identified and retrieved from the government by the representative appointed by the plaintiff...that is the diamond emerald bracelet,” it said.
Global Royalty said it was the duty of the defendant to take care of all the jewellery and keep them safe.
It also claimed that the defendant had shifted the burden to the Malaysian government when in fact, the jewellery had gone missing.
“The defendant must be held responsible to pay for the losses due to the missing 43 pieces of jewellery as the plaintiff has the right to claim damages,” said the jeweller.
The company is seeking a mandatory order for the jewellery to be returned to the plaintiff in good condition within 14 days from the date of judgment, failing which the defendant shall pay the plaintiff damages of RM67,461,027.37 or US$14,567,270, besides interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
