A Consignment Deal Gone Wrong
It began with a handshake and an arrangement that seemed straightforward enough: a Lebanese luxury jewellery firm would allow Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to view and select from a collection of 44 exquisite pieces, valued at over USD14.57 million. The understanding was simple — she could buy what she liked, and return the rest. But the jewellery never came back. And the payment never arrived.
Six Years Later: A Court Verdict
After years of legal proceedings, the Kuala Lumpur High Court has delivered its verdict: Rosmah Mansor must pay RM67.5 million to Global Royalty Trading SAL. The court found that the jewellery was provided on consignment, with ownership remaining entirely with the Lebanese firm. Rosmah neither purchased the pieces nor returned them, the court ruled.
The Mystery of 43 Missing Pieces
Of the 44 pieces, only one — a diamond-encrusted emerald bracelet — has been recovered. It was returned to the jeweller after being seized during a police operation. The remaining 43 pieces remain missing. Rosmah's defence argued that all the jewellery had been confiscated during a 2018 police raid linked to the 1MDB scandal. The court, however, dismissed her third-party claim against the Inspector-General of Police and the federal government.
What Comes Next
Global Royalty Trading's senior lawyer Datuk David Gurupatham has left little room for ambiguity: the firm will pursue all enforcement avenues, and bankruptcy proceedings remain a live option if the debt goes unpaid. Rosmah's legal team, meanwhile, has announced plans to appeal and seek a stay of execution. The legal battle, it seems, is far from over.
