Rosmah denied unconditional stay over RM67.5mil jewellery judgment

The Court of Appeal has denied Rosmah Mansor's request for an unconditional stay on a High Court ruling that requires her to pay approximately RM67.5 million to Lebanese jewellery company Global Royalty Trading SAL. The three-judge panel, consisting of Justice Firuz Jaffril, Amarjeet Singh, and Aliza Sulaiman, found insufficient grounds for an immediate stay pending the outcome of her appeal scheduled for March 25.

The case involves 43 pieces of luxury jewellery, valued at US$14.57 million (RM67.5 million), which Global Royalty claims were loaned to Rosmah in 2018 for viewing. The company asserts the jewellery remains their property, and they are seeking compensation from Rosmah. The High Court had previously ordered her to pay the sum within a month, while a conditional stay was granted in August, requiring her to deposit the full amount in a joint account with her solicitors.

Rosmah's legal team argued that the appellate court could grant an unconditional stay, as it would be heard in six months. However, Global Royalty's counsel countered that the company would suffer if Rosmah's assets were frozen due to a separate suit filed by 1MDB against her. Her legal representatives also pointed out that Rosmah claimed to have only RM20 in a dormant bank account. The police and government were notified of Rosmah's application but declined to oppose it.