Rosmah’s Application for Unconditional Stay of RM67.5 Million Payment to Lebanese Jewellery Firm Dismissed

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today dismissed Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s application for an unconditional stay of the RM67.5 million payment to Lebanon-based jewellery company Global Royalty Trading SAL, pending her appeal against a High Court judgment involving 43 missing pieces of jewellery.

A three-member panel comprising Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril, Datuk Amarjeet Singh and Datuk Aliza Sulaiman ruled that there were no exceptional circumstances warranting an unconditional stay.

The court also ordered Rosmah, the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to pay RM30,000 in costs.

Rosmah’s appeal against the High Court’s June 10 decision, which found her liable for the loss of jewellery allegedly entrusted to her and ordered her to pay RM67.5 million to Global Royalty within one month, is scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on March 25 next year.

On Aug 12 this year, High Court Judicial Commissioner Marianne Antoinette Ghani granted Rosmah a conditional stay of the judgment sum. Under the order, Rosmah was required to deposit RM67.5 million into a joint stakeholder account maintained by the solicitors for both parties within one month.

During today’s proceedings, Rosmah’s lawyer Mohamed Reza Abdul Rahim asked the court to allow his client’s application for an unconditional stay of payment of the judgment sum to preserve the integrity of the appeal.

“We are only seeking a limited stay of six months, as the appeal has been fixed for March 25 next year,” he said.

He acknowledged that his client had not appealed against the High Court order granting the conditional stay and also admitted that she had not complied with the conditional stay order.

Lawyer Datuk David Gurupatham, assisted by R Venothani, opposed the application, arguing that Global Royalty would be deprived of the benefit of its judgment as Rosmah’s assets had been frozen in connection with a lawsuit filed against her by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He referred to Rosmah’s affidavit, in which she allegedly stated that she had only RM20 in a dormant bank account.

Senior Federal Counsel Siti Aishah Ramlan, representing the third-party respondents — the Inspector-General of Police and the government — said she had no objection to the application.

Global Royalty filed the lawsuit on March 29, 2023, alleging that Rosmah had falsely claimed that 44 pieces of jewellery, including diamond necklaces, bracelets and tiaras delivered to her by the company’s agent, had been seized by 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 in police custody, while the remaining 43 were not. Global Royalty further alleged that Rosmah had shifted responsibility for the jewellery to the Malaysian government when, in fact, the items had gone missing.

On June 10 this year, High Court Judge Datuk Quay Chew Soon ordered Rosmah to pay RM67.5 million to Global Royalty within one month. Rosmah subsequently applied for a stay.

Speaking to the media outside the court, David said Rosmah had breached the court order and that Global Royalty was prepared to enforce the judgment sum awarded by the court.

Bernama