Rosmah Mansor, 1MDB apply to strike out suit by Khairuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have applied to strike out a suit filed against them by former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan.
Khairuddin filed the suit to seek an order for Rosmah and businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, as a defendant in the suit, for the return of jewellery, worth US$27.3 million (RM114.7 million), to 1MDB.
Lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, representing Rosmah, told reporters that the application to strike out the suit was filed last Sept 7 on grounds that Khairuddin had no locus standi to do so.
"The plaintiff (Khairuddin) also failed to provide specific details in the claim and on this case, 1MDB should file the claim, not him," he said when met after proceeding of the suit in chambers before High Court deputy registrar K. Pavani today.
Also present during the proceeding were lawyers Cains Tan, representing 1MDB, Rishwant Singh, for Jho Low, and Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al Mahdzar, who represented Khairuddin.
Mohd Hafarizam, who was assisted by lawyer Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, said 1MDB, who was named the third defendant in the suit, also filed an application to strike out the suit yesterday on the same grounds.
The court set Nov 9 for case management, he said.
Meanwhile, Syed Iskandar said the court allowed Khairuddin's application to advertise the suit in English and Chinese newspapers after failing to serve the suit to Jho Low.
Khairuddin filed the suit last Aug 16, where he named Rosmah, Jho Low, and 1MDB as defendants.
Based on the statement of claim, Khairuddin stated that between June 2013 and March 2014, Jho Low, through his agent, had bought jewellery from a company known as Loraine, from New York, totalling US$27.3 million.
He claimed that the money was stolen by Jho Low from 1MDB.
Khairuddin claimed that the jewellery, in the form of a pink diamond, valued at US$23 million, and a necklace, valued at US$4.3 million, were received as gifts by Rosmah on March 2014.
As such, he is seeking a court order for Rosmah to return the jewellery to 1MDB and for Jho Low to pay the amount of money taken from 1MDB, as well damages, cost and other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama