Guan Eng: Taxes not paid on jewellery sent to Rosmah

The finance minister says the items can be seized by the authorities as they were not declared to Customs.

DEWAN RAKYAT

Rosmah Mansor is being sued by a Lebanese wholesale jeweller for the return of 44 pieces of jewellery valued at almost RM60 million. (Bernama pix)

KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng confirmed today that the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak did not pay taxes for the jewellery items that were sent to her.

Lim said the finance ministry would leave it to the Customs Department and the police to probe the matter.

“The items were brought in by an export agent and was given to Pekan’s (Najib) wife. The Customs Department can confiscate the items,” he said when wrapping-up debate on the Customs (Amendment} Bill 2018.

The jewellery was seized about two months ago by the police during raids at residences linked to Najib.

Lim did not mention the jewellery items but he had previously said that no import declaration was made to the Customs Department on the delivery of 44 pieces of jewellery linked to Rosmah.

On July 10, a jewellery wholesaling company in Lebanon had filed a summons on Rosmah to demand that she return the jewellery which was sent to her for selection or pay for the jewellery concerned amounting to US$14.79 million (RM59.831 million).

However, Rosmah in her statement of defence filed on July 23 denied that she had bought the jewellery.

Lim was replying to Jelutong MP RSN Rayer who asked how the jewellery passed the Customs Department’s inspection.

“Were these consignments declared to the department when they were brought into Malaysia? Who was the consignee? Was the excise duty paid? How is it that these consignments reached Rosmah safely considering the enormous cost of the jewellery?” Rayer had asked several days ago. -FMT