Customs confirmation of USD24mil ring sparks more questions than answers

In a carefully worded written reply to DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng, Minister in the Prime Minister's department Nazri Aziz pussyfooted around a RM24 million diamond ring that was allegedly imported by First Lady Rosmah Mansor or by her cronies, wishing to stay in her good books by gifting her with a fabulous gem.

But strip away the frenzied denial attempts and the co-ordinated press releases by the government-controlled medai, the facts that stand are firstly, the ring was real and not a figment of PKR Rembau chief Badrul Hisham Shahrin, as Najib boldy tried to imply when he gave an interview to Indonesian newspaper Kompas.

Secondly, Nazri said the ring was in the country for only a few days, and this lend credence to speculation that it had been brough in to for a special private sale or viewing by Rosmah and her clique in their version of a high-end tupperware party.

In the written reply, this is what Nazri wrote:

"The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC) has referred the matter to the JKDM and JKDM has confirmed that there was no such purchase of the ring. After a few days, the ring was returned to the company which owns it."

Badrul had loged a report on the ring, asking the MACC to probe for abuse of power and possible corruption, while Najib had denied he and his family were in anyway involved with the gargantuan diamond ring that many including Kompas said was worth not RM24 million but USD24million.

Telling only what they want the public to know

Nowhere in the letter did Nazri deny the existence of a printout of the Customs database showing that the ring was brought in by one Jeremy Beh Sin Tee for the inspection of H.E. Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Why then did Najib and Rosmah try to deny the existence of ring?

Opposition leaders were not not convinced with Nazri's explanation, accusing him of only telling the part of the story that he wanted and the full truth of the matter.

"Why did the Customs allow the ring to come in for just a few days and in such a manner? Were all regulations adhered to? Did Rosmah use her influence to get the Customs to allow the ring to be brough without tax being filed even for a few days? What if someone bought it here and sent it away a few days later as Nazri has claimed it was?" PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"You see, there are more questions than before because the PM's office is still trying to hide the facts. Until they issue provide full and relevant details, it is hard not to keep the pressure up. At the very least, it looks like there may be some abuse of power by high-up authorities. It is not ususal to bring in a ring of such value for a few days? For what? That is the question?"

Denial opportunity for MSM but more questionmarks than before

Badrul had last month revealed that MACC officers had interviewed until 3am an operations manager at the KLIA over the diamond ring. He said it was apparently to find out who had leaked the news of the ring.

There has also been speculation that the ring was a gift from a wealthy Chinese tycoon or from Maira Nazarbayev, the mother-in-law to be of Najib's daughter Nooryana. Jakarta daily Kompas had also dropped the bombshell that Maira, who frequents Monte Carlo, the playground of the rich and famous, had links to the Russian mafia.

"As you can see, all that Nazri's statement has done is to confirm the such a ring really existed, and of course, to provide the mainstream media with an excuse to shout the headlines Customs confirm ring does not belong to Rosmah, but actually all that Nazri said was that Customs confirmed that that the ring came in, was not imported by Rosmah and left the country after a few days," said Tian.

"But who the importer is, we already know from the print-out by Badrul, so it doesn't clear up anything. The thing is, was it meant as gift for Rosmah, did she bring it in for a private sale? From what Nazri said, Customs did not deny Rosmah's involvement in the transaction, which now looks more shady than before. There are more questionmarks than before."

Malaysia Chronicle