PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Another high-end jeweller from the Middle East is seeking to retrieve jewellery worth more than US$5 million (S$6.83 million) that was allegedly delivered by hand to former premier Najib Razak's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor earlier this year.
According to lawyer Ashok Kandiah, his client - Dubai-based Adi Hasan AlFardan Jewellery - has instructed him to send a letter to Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Comm Amar Singh to recover a necklace and another one with an earring set.
Mr Ashok said the letter stated that Ms Rosmah explained to the owner Adi AlFardan that the items had been seized by the CCID in raids on several premises linked to Najib.
The items were apparently not paid for and had been passed to Ms Rosmah in March.
"On June 20, our client travelled to Malaysia and met with Rosmah at her residence in Kuala Lumpur.
"At that meeting, Rosmah informed Adi that the three jewellery items were among those seized by the police and that she is in no position to make any payments towards the items.
"We have been instructed to assist our client in retrieving the items from the police, if they had been seized. If the items had not been seized, then our client would consider their legal options against Rosmah," read the letter.
The letter requested that Mr Amar confirm the possession of the jewellery, adding it was prepared to cooperate with the police to recover the items for which no payment was made by Rosmah and the titles had not been passed to her.
The letter also stated that Adi AlFardan had often been able to bypass customs and immigration checks during his four trips to Malaysia to hand the jewellery to Rosmah.
"On most of his arrivals in Kuala Lumpur, individuals who identified themselves as officers from the Prime Minister's Department met him at the arrival gate and escorted him through the Immigration and Customs checkpoints," it stated.
The items comprise a necklace with 56 heart-shaped "fancy yellow diamonds" - the largest one weighing 10.7 carats - and also 78 other smaller regular-coloured diamonds. This itself, with alterations allegedly requested by Rosmah, costs US$2.248 million.
The necklace and earrings set were also fitted with yellow diamonds where the necklace consisted of a string of cushion cut diamonds weighing 112.94 carats and the earrings, also consisting of the cushion cut stones, weighed 17.84 carats. This set is worth US$3 million.
Mr Ashok also told The Star that the law firm was in the process of taking out its client's instructions on further action or legal proceedings against Ms Rosmah.
He also said that while the CCID had sent a response, it failed to address the concerns raised.
On its website, Adi Hasan AlFardan Jewellery said Adi AlFardan is a private jeweller who designs exquisite masterpieces and caters to the most exclusive, noble and royal clients in the Middle East.
It is the second firm known to be seeking the return of high-end jewellery from Ms Rosmah.
On June 26, Lebanese-based jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL filed a suit against Ms Rosmah at the Kuala Lumpur High Court seeking a mandatory order for 44 pieces of jewellery amounting to US$14,787,770 to be returned.
