KUALA LUMPUR (July 9): Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will be allowed to inspect and view close to 12,000 pieces of jewellery, 300 handbags and other valuables which were seized by police shortly after the 14th general election in 2018, after July 21. 

The High Court here had not set a definite date but had allowed them to view the items after July 21. 

The date was set by Justice Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin at the High Court here today, who also allowed two separate inspections to be carried out — one on the bags and valuables, and another on the jewellery.

It is now up to the lawyers in both parties, the police as well as Bank Negara Malaysia to hash out a date for the couple to inspect the 300 handbags and other valuables.

As for the jewellery inspection, Najib and Rosmah have to wait for representatives from Lebanese jewellery firm Global Royalty Trading SAL to come to Malaysia to inspect it together with them.

It was previously reported that lawyer for Global Royalty Datuk David Gurupatham had told the court his clients are in the UK and are unable to come to Malaysia following the closure of its borders as part of the MCO. 

In March, the judge had allowed the Lebanese firm to physically inspect 44 pieces of jewellery worth US$14.79 million (RM62.7 million) which was confiscated in the 2018 raids. 

The company claims it had sent the jewellery to Rosmah for viewing purposes only. 

The 44 pieces of jewellery were among the items that were seized from Pavilion Residences.

Global Royalty claimed the jewellery it sent to Rosmah included a diamond necklace, earrings, rings, bracelets and a tiara, each worth between US$124,000 and US$925,000.

No date was give as to when the Lebanese firm would come to Malaysia as borders with the UK are still closed. 

Speaking to reporters after proceedings today, deputy public prosecutor Fatin Hadni Khairuddin said they will speak to all parties concerned to set a date for the first inspection to go on. 

“We will settle the first inspection, the court did not set a specific date so it is up to us to discuss with police, Bank Negara officials and lawyers on the other side to set a date after July 21,” she said. 

“We are all in agreement that it must be done as soon as possible,” she said. 

Previously, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah had told the court that his client’s belongings such as handbags were destroyed by the police defacing them with magic markers. 

He said the police had written on these expensive items to label them and claimed that they had no respect for the items. 

In March, the judge had ordered Rosmah to have the inspection within 30 days in a controlled environment to be decided by the prosecution.

In addition, she only had one day to inspect all the valuable items; however, this did not take place as the government had implemented the Movement Control Order to stop the spread of the dreaded coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Before the trial, police had brought in 14 plastic boxes of pictures of the jewellery, handbags and other valuable items to be shown to the applicants.

Fatin had previously suggested that this should be sufficient and there was no need for a physical inspection.

The valuables include 11,991 pieces of jewellery, 401 watches and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of eyewear and 306 handbags, as well as RM114.16 million in various foreign currencies.

The estimated value of all these items is approximately RM680 million.