Jeweller suing Rosmah is a legitimate business, says lawyer

PETALING JAYA: The Lebanese jeweller suing Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (pix) for the return of RM60 million in jewels is a legitimate business and not a front for other businesses.
Global Royalty Trading SAL is part of Samer Halimeh's empire with outlets in New York, London, Cannes and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, The Malaysian Insight reported today.
Global Royalty Trading SAL has an outlet under his name in Star Hill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, said lawyer David Gurupatham, who is representing the firm now suing the wife of embattled former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
He is named as the salesman in the statement of claim filed on June 26 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
"The jeweller is well known," Gurupatham told the portal in an exclusive report.
"I mean if you look at social media. He's there. Whether he used a particular vehicle to do the transaction or seal the deal. That's quite normal, you see. So, it's certainly not a front.
"At the end of the day, it's obvious this is not a front because you're talking about 44 pieces of jewellery, out of 12,00 pieces that were seized. It's a drop of water in the ocean."
The jeweller is suing Rosmah after a consignment of 44 pieces of jewellery comprising a tiara, diamond necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings that were sent to her in February were seized in government raids beginning May 16.
Each item costs between US$124,000 and US$925,000 with a total value of US$14.8 million (RM60 million).