KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has contended that 1MDB and 10 other entities could no longer sue her for RM1.6 billion in allegedly embezzled funds, claiming the suit was filed outside statutory time limits.

According to Free Malaysia Today, lawyers acting for the wife of convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak argued that the Limitation Act 1953 set a maximum of six years from when a cause of action occurred, after which civil claims could no longer be made.

In a defence statement filed yesterday, Rosmah’s lawyer said the incidents cited in the lawsuit against her occurred in 2014 at the latest, beyond the statutory limit set in the Act.

“The entire action is tainted with mala fide (bad faith),” she said in the statement that alleged harassment and frivolity in the action against her.

Rosmah additionally denied purchasing or obtaining the laundry list of luxury items she was accused of buying with the allegedly stolen funds, which included a “30cm Himalayan Birkin” valued at RM424,558 and considered among the rarest Hermès bags in the world.

Her lawyers also argued that the parties suing her had not made any formal claims to some of the luxury items listed in their lawsuit when the government had issued a notice for interested parties to present a legal claim.

Last month, 1MDB and the 10 others sued Rosmah to recover US$346 million (RM1.6 billion) she allegedly spent on luxury items from 48 different vendors in at least 14 countries.

The plaintiffs said the funds had been earmarked for various investments, were embezzled using foreign entities that were unrelated to the state investment firm and had no business receiving its funds.

It added that while payments for the luxury goods were made from the offshore entities, the purchases were by Rosmah or her agents including the second defendant, Shabnam Naraindas Daswani (also known as Natasha Mirpuri).

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/07/05/too-late-to-sue-me-for-rm16b-rosmah-tells-1mdb-others/142809