KUALA LUMPUR: Lebanese jewellery firm Global Royalty Trading SAL will refile a suit against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to seek damages for 43 items of jewellery worth US$14.57mil (about RM61mil) allegedly still in the possession of the former prime minister's wife.
Global Royalty's counsel Datuk David Gurupatham confirmed this when contacted after case management before High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin on Monday (Nov 22).
"We have filed an affidavit to confirm that after an inspection by a Global Royalty representative (from) Oct 25 to Nov 3 at the Bank Negara Malaysia vault, only one diamond bracelet belonging to Global Royalty was found from 44 pieces of jewellery which were claimed by Rosmah.
"Previously, we withdrew the civil suit filed against her in 2019 because we needed to confirm if the 44 pieces were at Bank Negara or not... so, we will refile the civil suit because we believe 43 pieces are still in her custody,” said the lawyer.
Gurupatham said based on the consignment memorandum, Rosmah would have to pay the total price of the jewellery if she did not return all of it to Global Royalty.
The jewellery was among various items seized by police from premises belonging to Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd at Pavilion Residences in May 2018.
The items were allegedly linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal.
Meanwhile, Gurupatham said the court fixed May 23 to 27 next year for the hearing of claims for forfeiture of other items seized at the Obyu Holdings premises including jewellery, watches and handbags as well as spectacles.
"It also includes a diamond bracelet worth US$220,000 (RM920,800) belonging to Global Royalty, which was found during an inspection at Bank Negara," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin confirmed the date.
In 2019, the prosecution filed a forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings to seize various items including 11,991 units of jewellery, 401 watch straps and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of spectacles and 306 handbags as well as cash in various denominations amounting to RM114,164,393.44. – Bernama