KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court was told that it is nothing unusual for former Prime Minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to receive branded bags as gifts.
The 263 branded bags that were linked to the embezzled 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds seized by the police were actually gifts for Rosmah and her daughter, Nooryana Najwa Najib.
According to the lawyer representing Rosmah and Nooryana, Iskandar Shah Ibrahim, those gifts were given to them on the capacity of his clients, as the wife and daughter of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“The prosecution had failed to prove that the branded bags were bought using 1MDB funds and on the contrary, the investigating officer who investigated the case confessed that part of the items seized were gifts.
“If we look at those Hermes bags, we still can’t trace where it was bought. This is not something you can buy just like that from any shops or malls.
“In Rosmah’s affidavit earlier, she revealed that she has received gifts from unknown individual and that person is not known to her family in-laws too.
“The Investigation Officer from Bukit Aman, Foo Mei Win also said that based on police investigation, majority of the handbags seized on 17 May 2018 were gifts,” he said before Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in the proceeding filed by the government to forfeit cash and assets including the branded bags implicated with 1MDB.
Besides Rosmah and Nooryana, the summon was also filed on Najib along with 15 other respondents.
Rosmah and Nooryana made an application to the court to set aside the summon made by the government.
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Prime Minister and her daughter, Noryana Najwa Najib.
PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 20 DECEMBER 2019.
The prosecution had filed a notice for motion to forfeit the rights on the assets and named Najib, Rosmah, and their children; Nor Ashman Razak Mohd Najib and Nooryana; Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz (Najib’s stepson); Mohd Kyizzad Mesran; Senijauhar Sdn Bhd; Aiman Ruslan; Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia, Yayasan Semesta; Yayasan Mustika Kasih; Rembulan Kembara Sdn Bhd, Goh Gaik Ewe (Jho Low Taek Jho’s mother); Roger Ng Chong Hwa (former banker of Goldman Sachs) and his wife Lim Hwee Bin; Kee Kok Thiam; Tan Vern Tact and Geh Choh Hun as respondents.
Meanwhile, Iskandar said, there is a logic for Nooryana to afford some of those bags as she has her own income when she was working in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong earlier.
Iskandar added, some of the bags seized were wedding gifts from her in-laws in Kazakhstan.
“Nooryana’s testimony has a base to show that the fifth respondent (Nooryana) can afford to buy those handbags.
“The Hermes handbags were among her engagement and wedding gifts, not merely from her mother-in-law,” he argued.
Mohamed Zaini then set 18 June for the prosecution to answer the argument. –MalaysiaGazette
