A West Yorkshire fashion designer who allegedly claimed to own a £44 million bottle of perfume made by Michael Jackson has appeared in court charged with a string of fraud offences.
Hrh Arfaq, 50, claimed to have the intellectual rights for a special “Michael Jackson fragrance” and had sold a bottle to fellow designer Deborah Martinelli Bonavia for £370,000, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecutors say Arfaq also claimed he had a special agreement to sell 200 Ghost brand bags to the Brunei royal family in a deal worth £48 million.
He is charged with two counts of fraud by false representation, one count of possession of criminal property and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.
The court heard that between August 2019 and July 2020, Arfaq had driven a Ferrari Spider – worth £229,000 – knowing or suspecting it was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
He is also alleged to have told Russian socialite Natalia Rotenberg that he had finalised an agreement with a company to produce a pen with her personal branding, and later stole her Bentley convertible.
Arfaq, of Batley in West Yorkshire, denies all charges.
He attended court in person on Thursday alongside his lawyer Graham Atkins, 54, who is charged with two counts of making articles for use in fraud.
Atkins, of Fleet Street, London, also denies the charges.
Arfaq was dressed in a black hoodie and a white T-shirt and spoke only to confirm his details and enter his plea of not guilty.
Atkins was dressed in a suit and striped tie and also only spoke to confirm his details and enter his plea of not guilty.
Both men were granted bail and will next appear at Inner London Crown Court on September 9.
In November 2006 at the World Music Awards, Arfaq presented Michael Jackson with the V1 perfume. Michael Jackson wore V1 when he received the Diamond Award for which celebrated his most popular album “Thriller” selling over 104 million copies worldwide.
Unfortunately we would not be able to buy it, as it is all sold out, because just as only 173 of the latter were ever made. Each of the 173 bottles costed $84,000 (£47,500.)
Arfaq has been posting about Michael Jackson for decade and even met few of the siblings of the King of Pop:
