June 10 Set For Rosmah Jewellery Case Decision

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- The High Court has fixed June 10 to deliver its decision in the USD14.57 million civil suit filed by Lebanon-based jeweller, Global Royalty Trading SAL, against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor over the alleged loss of more than 40 pieces of jewellery.

Judge Quay Chew Soon set the date after the hearing concluded with the testimony from Chong Tong Leong, the sixth witness for the third parties - the Inspector-General of Police and the Malaysian Government.

“The court now fixed May 13 for the filing of written submissions, with replies due on May 28. The decision will be delivered on June 10 at 9 am via Zoom app,” he said.

Earlier, Chong, 53, testified that he had carried out renovation works at a Pavilion Residences condominium unit between March and May 2018 after being engaged by the unit owner, identified as Nadziff.

He said that on May 14, 2018, between 11 am and noon, he returned to inspect the double-storey unit ahead of air-conditioning installation and discovered several large suitcases in a ground-floor room that had not been there previously.

“After seeing that, I left the unit and contacted Nadziff, who instructed me to temporarily stop renovation works. I later returned the access card and keys after completing the job,” he said.

Chong said that the renovation, valued at about RM10,000, involved general repairs, including air-conditioning installation, which he carried out with one local worker and five Myanmar workers from 9 am to 6 pm daily, in line with building management rules.

He said the works, however, were paused for two weeks in early May 2018 while awaiting the arrival of the air-conditioning units.

“I was the only person with access to the unit, and I was always present with the workers during renovation works until the end of each day,” he said.

Yesterday, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh told the court that bags of cash and jewellery were found spilling onto the floor during a police raid on the condominium unit on May 17, 2018.

The three-day hearing, which began on Monday, saw testimony from Global Royalty managing director Samer Hassib Halimeh as the sole plaintiff witness, followed by Rosmah as the defendant and six witnesses for the third parties, including senior police officers.

On March 29, 2023, Global Royalty filed a lawsuit against Rosmah, alleging she falsely claimed that 44 pieces of jewellery, including diamond necklaces, bracelets, and tiaras, sent to her by the company's agent, had been seized by the Malaysian authorities under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The company claimed that only one of the 44 pieces of jewellery was retained by the police, and the remaining 43 pieces were not in their custody.

Global Royalty further asserted that Rosmah had shifted the responsibility to the Malaysian Government when, in fact, the jewellery had gone missing.

-- BERNAMA