Rosmah denied unconditional stay over RM67.5mil jewellery judgment

The Court of Appeal has refused Rosmah Mansor’s bid for an unconditional stay of a High Court order requiring her to pay about RM67.5 million to a Lebanese jewellery company pending her appeal.

A three-member bench chaired by Justice Firuz Jaffril said the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak did not advance sufficient grounds for an unconditional stay pending the disposal of the appeal, which is scheduled to be heard on March 25 next year.

The bench, which included Justices Amarjeet Singh and Aliza Sulaiman, also ordered Rosmah to pay RM30,000 in costs.

“Datuk David, you can do whatever you want (to enforce the High Court judgment),” Firuz told Global Royalty Trading SAL’s counsel, David Gurupatham.

On June 10, High Court judge Quay Chew Soon allowed Global Royalty’s suit against Rosmah, ordering her to pay RM67.5 million within a month for 43 pieces of jewellery allegedly loaned to her.

The suit concerned 43 pieces of luxury jewellery worth US$14.57 million (about RM67.5 million) which Global Royalty said it supplied to Rosmah in 2018 on consignment for viewing.

The company claimed the jewellery remained its property and was never returned, prompting it to seek compensation from Rosmah.

Global Royalty, a Lebanon-based company, also named the inspector-general of police and government as defendants.

On Aug 12, judicial commissioner Marianne Antoinette Ghani granted Rosmah a conditional stay, requiring her to place the full judgment sum of about RM67.5 million in a joint account held by the solicitors for both parties within one month.

She said the arrangement would safeguard Global Royalty’s right to the money if Rosmah’s appeal failed, while ensuring the funds remained in Malaysia and could be returned to Rosmah if she succeeded.

Rosmah then appealed to the Court of Appeal for an unconditional stay.

Her lawyer, Reza Abdul Rahim, today submitted that the appellate court had the discretion to grant such a stay, particularly as the appeal was due to be heard in about six months.

Gurupatham, assisted by R Venothani, opposed the application, saying Global Royalty would be deprived of the benefit of its judgment because Rosmah’s assets had been frozen in connection with a suit filed by 1MDB against her.

He also referred to Rosmah’s affidavit, saying she claimed to have only RM20 in a dormant bank account.

Senior federal counsel Siti Aishah Ramlan, appearing for the inspector-general of police and government, said she had instructions not to oppose Rosmah’s application.

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