A recent request from a Dubai-based jeweller for the return of diamond jewellery that had been purportedly hand-delivered to Rosmah Mansor is being handled by Bukit Aman’s Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amla) team.
Malaysiakini, in an exclusive report last week, revealed that Adi Hasan Al Fardan Jewellery (Al Fardan) had written a letter to the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) seeking the return of the gems collectively worth more than US$5 million.
The letter, sighted by Malaysiakini, stated that Rosmah, who is former premier Najib Razak's wife, had explained to the owner Adi Al Fardan that the items were seized by the CCID during its raids of several residences linked to Najib.
It is understood that the CCID’s Amla unit is now actively handling the case.
Last week, Al Fardan’s Malaysian lawyer Ashok Kandiah said that the CCID had failed to address his client’s concerns in its reply to their letter.
Today, Ashok confirmed that police had reached out to them again after the article was published last week.
"We have been in touch with the Royal Malaysian Police and we are actively engaging with them on the case,” he said.
Also last week, deputy inspector general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim was quoted as saying that police would soon be calling in Rosmah to help identify jewellery previously seized so that they could be traced back to their respective vendors.
The items Al Fardan is seeking to recover include a necklace comprising 56 heart-shaped “fancy yellow diamonds” with the biggest gem weighing 10.7 carats.
The necklace also comprises 78 other smaller regular-coloured diamonds. Along with the alterations allegedly requested by Rosmah, it is worth US$2.248 million.
Apart from this, the jeweller also claimed to have delivered a necklace-and-earrings set, which also consisted of yellow diamonds, worth a total of US$3 million.This necklace was made up of a string of “cushion cut” diamonds amounting to 112.94 carats whereas the earrings, also fashioned in a “cushion cut” manner, weigh a total of 17.84 carats.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, yellow diamonds are extremely precious and rare, only to be found in the Zimmi mine in Sierra Leone.
In June, Malaysiakini, in another exclusive, reported that Lebanese-based Global Royalty Trading had filed a suit against Rosmah over 44 pieces of jewellery comprising a tiara, diamond necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings.
Global Royalty claimed that while Rosmah had acknowledged receipt of the consignment in writing, the items were no longer in her custody. - Mkini
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