Judge rejects raid excuses over missing tiaras.
The High Court has ordered Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to pay RM67,461,027.37 to Lebanon-based jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL within one month over 43 pieces of unreturned jewellery.
Justice Quay Chew Soon delivered the decision on Wednesday (June 10), ruling that Rosmah had failed to properly account for the items. Global Royalty initially filed the suit on May 29, 2023, claiming Rosmah falsely alleged that 44 pieces of jewellery—including diamond necklaces, bracelets, and tiaras sent to her under a February 2018 consignment arrangement—were seized by Malaysian authorities under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. The jeweller maintained that the police only retained one piece, and that Rosmah shifted the blame to the Malaysian government after the remaining jewellery went missing.
Rosmah, the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, did not purchase the jewellery, meaning it remained the plaintiff’s property.
“Once the defendant admitted delivery, consignment, possession, non-purchase, non-payment and the absence of ownership, the legal consequences flowing from those admissions became unavoidable,” Justice Quay said, adding that the law imposed a burden upon her to account for the items.
“The defendant cannot merely say that there was a raid by the police, the items may have been seized, bodyguards handled the bags, or that the police took possession of certain items, and thereby hope to discharge the burden imposed upon her as a bailee. The law requires the defendant to do far more,” the judge said.
Rosmah’s defence argued that the items were moved from the Prime Minister’s official residence at Seri Perdana to a Pavilion unit where she was staying, where they were “safely kept in a bag” and “stored under lock” until being seized during a police raid on May 17, 2018. She claimed she remained ready and willing to return them.
However, the judge found her defence collapsed under cross-examination when Rosmah admitted she did not personally pack, move, or supervise the transportation of the jewellery. Furthermore, the court found no contemporaneous list or inventory identifying the 43 pieces as seized property; only one item was positively identified during inspection exercises and forfeiture proceedings.
“The present issue is not whether some jewellery items were seized during the police raid. The real issue is whether the defendant has proven that the remaining 43 pieces formed part of the seizure by the police. I find that the defendant has failed to do so,” Justice Quay said.
“The defendant has failed to do so. Her attempt to shift focus onto speculative explanations concerning the raid and seizure by the police is untenable. The fact remains that the defendant failed to return the remaining 43 pieces and cannot satisfactorily account for their fate. In law, that constitutes prima facie negligence. Unless adequately rebutted, liability necessarily follows. The defendant has failed to rebut that presumption,” the judge stated.
Rosmah had initiated third-party proceedings against the Inspector-General of Police and the government, seeking an indemnity for any sums she might be held liable to pay. The court rejected this claim.
In addition to the RM67.5mil jewellery payout, Rosmah was ordered to pay RM75,000 in costs to both the plaintiff and the third parties. Following the verdict, Rosmah’s lawyer, Rajivan Nambiar, informed the media that they would be appealing the decision.