Malaysia’s former first lady Rosmah Mansor’s seized handbags damaged and government should pay, lawyer tells court
- Rosmah became a lightning rod for public anger during the rule of her husband, Najib Razak, who was accused of plundering state coffers
- During 2018 raids, police confiscated more than 500 handbags and 12,000 pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth US$270 million
Rosmah Mansor became a lightning rod for public anger during the rule of her husband, Najib Razak, who was accused of plundering state coffers while prime minister.
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But Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said police had subsequently written exhibit numbers on the bags with permanent marker and “showed absolutely no respect for the goods”.
Officials had been “careless about the way they handled the precious exhibits” and may have caused millions of dollars in damage, he told a Kuala Lumpur court at a hearing in one of Najib’s trials.
“Now the government should be responsible to pay for the damage or replace the products,” the lawyer said.
The couple noticed the damage during a recent inspection of the items, held in a vault at Malaysia’s central bank, which was permitted for Najib to prepare his defence. But there was little sympathy among Malaysians for a woman who came to symbolise the rot in the country’s ruling elite during Najib’s time in power.
“Ma’am will be so devastated,” commented one Twitter user, while another social media user praised police for doing a “good job”.
In her 2013 biography, Rosmah declared herself a “naturally gifted accountant”, and said she started saving money early. She also claimed many of her expensive accessories were gifts and that she earned money from an album she released, which earned “millions” not from purchases by the public but by government ministers.
She was quoted as saying: “There are some accessories and clothes that I have bought with my own money. What is wrong with that?
“As a woman and as the wife of a leader, I have to look made up, neat and take care of my appearance. It is also embarrassing for Malaysians when other countries make fun of the sloppy wife of Malaysia’s prime minister.”