High Court Grants Rosmah Conditional Stay Over RM67.5m Jewellery Lawsuit, Orders Full Deposit into Joint Account

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — The High Court today granted Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor a conditional stay of payment on a RM67.5 million judgment awarded to Lebanon-based jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL over 43 missing pieces of luxury jewellery, pending the outcome of her appeal.

Judicial Commissioner Marianne Antoinette Ghani ordered the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to deposit the full judgment sum of RM67,461,027.37 into a joint stakeholders’ account managed by solicitors representing both parties within one month.

The conditional stay means Rosmah will not be required to transfer the funds directly to the Lebanese firm while her appeal is reviewed by the Court of Appeal, provided she fully complies with the court’s deposit order within the 30-day window.

Delivering her ruling via Zoom, Judicial Commissioner Marianne explained that requiring the judgment sum to be deposited into a joint stakeholder account strikes a fair balance between protecting the rights of both litigants.

“This will ensure that the plaintiff, as the successful litigant, is assured of the fruits of its successful litigation and avoid the prejudice caused by an unconditional stay if the appeal is dismissed,” Marianne held during the proceedings.

“Whilst ensuring that the defendant’s rights of appeal shall not be rendered nugatory should her appeal be allowed, as the judgment funds shall remain within the jurisdiction and are easily, therefore, recoverable,” she added, ordering that the conditional stay be granted pending the appellate court’s final ruling.

During the court session, Rosmah was represented by defense counsel M. Reza Rahim, while senior advocate Datuk David Gurupatham appeared on behalf of Global Royalty.

The stay application follows a June 10 High Court ruling that ordered Rosmah to pay RM67.5 million to Global Royalty within a month after finding her liable for the loss of 43 pieces of consignment jewellery that had been delivered into her custody. Dissatisfied with that verdict, Rosmah filed an official appeal with the Court of Appeal on June 12 alongside a stay of execution application.

Global Royalty initiated the civil suit on March 29, 2023, alleging that Rosmah falsely claimed 44 pieces of consignment jewellery—including diamond necklaces, bracelets, and tiaras—sent to her by the company’s agent had been seized by Malaysian police under anti-money laundering laws. However, authorities later confirmed that law enforcement retained only one piece, leaving 43 missing pieces unaccounted for in government custody.

The Lebanese firm maintained that Rosmah improperly attempted to shift financial liability onto the Malaysian government for luxury items that disappeared while in her personal care.

In a statement issued following today’s ruling, David emphasized that if Rosmah fails to deposit the complete judgment sum into the stakeholder account within 30 days, Global Royalty will immediately regain the right to proceed with judgment execution.

“We are pleased with the High Court’s decision today, which ensures that Global Royalty’s judgment is fully protected and secured pending the appeal,” David said in a joint statement released alongside co-counsel Venothani Rajagopal.

–NMT