Rosmah gagal tangguh bayaran RM67.5 juta barang kemas

Mahkamah Rayuan in Malaysia has dismissed Rosmah Mansor's request for a full stay on a RM67.5 million judgment demanding payment from a luxury goods company, Global Royalty Trading S.A.L. The three-judge panel, comprising Judges Firuz Jaffril, Amarjeet Singh, and Aliza Sulaiman, ruled that Rosmah had failed to provide sufficient reasons for the stay pending her appeal, which was scheduled to be heard on May 25 next year.

The judges also ordered her to pay the RM30,000 legal costs. Earlier, on June 10, the High Court's Judge Quay Chew Soon had allowed the Global Royalty's claim for RM67.5 million, citing the 43 expensive items (valued at USD14.57 million or around RM67.5 million) allegedly provided to Rosmah in 2018 under a confidential loan. Global Royalty, a Lebanese-based company, also sued the King of Malaysia and the government as defendants.

On August 12, Attorney General Marianne Antoinette Ghani granted Rosmah a conditional stay, requiring her to deposit the entire judgment amount of approximately RM67.5 million into a joint account held by her lawyers within a month. The arrangement aims to protect Global Royalty's right to the money if Rosmah's appeal fails, while ensuring the funds remain in Malaysia and can be returned to her if she succeeds in her appeal.

Rosmah subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal, and her lawyers argued that the Court of Appeal had the discretion to grant the stay, especially considering the appeal was slated to be heard within six months. Her lawyers, Reza Abdul Rahim and R Venothani, opposed the motion, arguing that Global Royalty would be deprived of any benefit from the Rosmah's assets related to the 1MDB suit against them.

They also referred to Rosmah's affidavit stating she only had RM20 in a dormant bank account. Public Prosecutor Siti Aishah Ramlan, representing the King and the government, said she had been instructed not to oppose Rosmah's appeal.