PETALING JAYA: The pink diamond necklace created by New York jeweller Lorraine Schwartz was never received by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, say her lawyers.

       “It is pertinent to note our client had never received the pink diamond necklace and this is evident as despite being subjected to several raids by the authorities, the pink diamond necklace was never found to be in possession of our client,” her lawyers said in statement on Friday (March 25).

       They were referring to the recent news reports that the jury in the trial of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng were shown the receipt - in the form of an invoice - for the US$23mil (RM97.32mil) necklace with a large pink diamond created by New York jeweller Lorraine Schwartz for Rosmah.

       Rosmah’s team of solicitors comprises Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, Rajivan Nambiar and Reza Rahim.

       The lawyers further maintained that Rosmah and her husband, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak only knew that a prince from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour Zayed, wanted to give the pink diamond necklace as a gift to them.

       "The couple did not at any time demand, request or intend to purchase the jewellery piece.

       "The value of the necklace was also not made known to the couple.

       “Our client also has no knowledge of the invoice produced and shown to the jury in the Roger Ng trial. In any event, our client takes the position that the production of the invoice per se does not amount to any form of conclusive evidence implicating our client in the purchase of the pink diamond necklace,” said the lawyers in the statement.

       Sensationalising of this issue is another scurrilous attempt to defame Rosmah and her husband politically, said Rosmah’s team of solicitors.

       According to news reports, the jury in the trial of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng were given an invoice of the necklace while looking through valuables which was allegedly bought with funds linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

       However, they did not see the actual US$23mil necklace or a photo of it.

       Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, who is the centre of the 1MDB scandal, had allegedly contacted Schwartz in 2013 asking her to create a pink diamond necklace for Rosmah, the court heard.

       It was also heard in court that Schwartz had personally delivered the necklace to Rosmah aboard a yacht off the coast of Monaco.