Although Rosmah’s ‘pink diamond’ not found, police says has solid evidence of purchase with 1MDB cash.
Bukit Aman has pieced together the money trail behind the purchase of a pink diamond that allegedly used 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
It said it has solid evidence to prove 1MDB money was used to buy it even though the jewel itself has not been found.
“Even though the diamond was not found during the raids conducted, we have found enough evidence to show that the diamond was purchased,” Bukit Aman said in a statement on Saturday (April 13).
Police were commenting on the denial issued by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor regarding the purchase of the pink diamond.
The assertion by the police follows Rosmah’s repeated claim to have been slandered as the buyer of the US$23 million (RM94.6 million) gem by critics of her husband, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to bury his political career.
“There is money trail evidence of the purchase of the US$23 million ‘pink diamond’ from a jeweller in New York using money from 1MDB.
“Even though the ‘pink diamond’ was not found during the police raid, there is clear evidence to show the existence of the purchase transaction,” Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Khalil Azlan Chik who heads Bukit Aman anti-money laundering investigation team said in a media statement today after social media buzz over the pink diamond.
Najib had recently claimed vindication that his wife had not bought a pink diamond as alleged by his critics, but Damansara MP Tony Pua has countered and accused the Pekan MP of misleading the public as there were two different pink diamonds being discussed.
The police did not clarify which pink diamond in its statement.
Rosmah too had claimed two days ago to have been disproved in allegations that she had bought a pink diamond, which she said was being spread by Najib’s critics for him to be voted out of office.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday the diamond was not purchased in Malaysia despite being brought into the country.
The deputy minister said the jewellery agents had declared the diamond among 40 over pieces of precious stones meant for the wife of a prominent person.
However, the agent also declared the same jewellery to have exited the country, indicating no sale was made.
Last year, Najib claimed the pink diamond pendant was a gift from Prince Sheikh Mansour, brother of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Zayed.
Pua clarified that the diamond referred by Amiruddin was not the one involved in the 1MDB scandal.
Instead, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) had named a “22.17-carat Natural Fancy Intense Pink VS2 clarity (GIA#2115637296) Cut-Cornered Square Modified Brilliant Cut diamond” in its court filing in June 15, 2017, said the Damansara MP.
Pua said the DoJ filing stated that the jewel was bought from Lorraine Schwartz Inc in New York and the jeweller had met Rosmah and Jho Low aboard the Topaz yacht in Monaco.
“Najib is once again attempting to deny the fact that his wife Rosmah purchased a pink diamond necklace worth US$27 million (RM111 million),” he said in a statement today.
“But the real pink diamond scandal involved in the 1MDB case is not the pink diamond that was brought in by the agent. Instead, this scandal refers to the 22-carat pink diamond necklace that was ordered through Jho Low for Rosmah and paid for with the money from 1MDB.”
Pua said the DoJ filing showed two invoices issued by the jewellers were paid with funds from the US$681 million, or RM2.6 billion, that was credited into Najib’s private bank accounts.
The documents then suggested that the jewellery was sent to Rosmah through a friend in Hong Kong on March 7, 2014, said Pua.
“I wish to challenge Najib and his wife to deny each specific charge and evidence that has been raised by the DOJ. Why is it, until this day, the couple have not denied these statements?
“It’s not enough that they indulged in money that was stolen from the people, they are now trying to make fools of the people by misrepresenting facts, and hiding real facts.”
Last October, Najib told Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme that the 22-carat pink diamond was a gift from UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour Zayed.
He claimed not to have knowledge of the value of the diamond.