Who could forget the high-profile lawsuit filed by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, whose realistic life-size sex statues charmed the world? Yesterday the jury, which had not been allowed to see the sex statues, dealt the prince a decisive loss, ordering him to pay $21 million to the former financial advisers he accused of cheating him out of $7 million. What's weird about this case (besides the sex statues—don't forget about them) is that Prince Jefri is believed to have spent about $100 million in legal fees in a bid to recoup that $7 million. Naturally, he plans to file an appeal. What else do you expect him to spend his money on? He already owns the finest sex statues money can buy.
"We won!" yelled a triumphant Faith Zaman as she left court, according to the Post. Jefri had accused Zaman, along with her husband Thomas Derbyshire, of stealing from him when they represented him in real estate deals between May 2004 and November 2006. But the only wrongdoing found by the jury was that one of Zaman's brothers had improperly charged expenses to one of the prince’s corporate credit cards. The jurors awarded the prince $54,000, the Times reports. "This is a huge vindication by real people in a real court, not some kangaroo court in Brunei," Zaman said yesterday, adding that Jefri and his royal family had shattered her career "with a flick of their fingers. [The jurors] brought it back. That's why they all got a hug."
Prince Jefri, who had been in court for most of the trial, was not present when the jury announced the decision. We're guessing Wednesday is sex statue waxing day.
