The government of Sierra Leone on Thursday rejected a $7.8 million bid for one of the world's largest uncut diamonds found by a pastor saying it failed to meet its own valuation.
The 709 carats diamond was discovered by Emmanuel Momoh, a Sierra Leonean pastor who found it in the Kono district of the country in March and handed it over to the government to sale. Read here
According to the chief auctioneer and head of the National Minerals Agency, Sahr Wonday, he said five bids were handed to auctioneers in a sealed brown envelope, ranging from $2 million to $7.8 million.
He said the top bid was made by a man in a white shirt and light trousers on behalf of Belgium diamond dealer Ray Diam BVBA but was actually rejected as it fails to meet the country's valuation.
We've decided not to sell the diamond today because the highest bid price ... does not match the government reserve price,' He told a packed room.
Wonday said the government will be going to an international auction in either Antwerp, Belgium or Tel Aviv in Israel to get substantial offers for the stone.
Reacting to the diamond auction fails, Pastor Emmanuel said: 'I was unhappy with the highest bid price," said Momoh. His stone, he said, "is worth a lot more than $7.8 million."
The diamond is the biggest to be in Sierra Leone since 1970, when the 969-carat Star of Sierra Leone was dug up.
10 comments:
The pastor no well....sell the gold and help the poor masses build mootherlesss babies home if ya are dt kind hearted ...govt won't give he poor masses anything u ddey form holy come carry gold giv govt...is just like finding money and nigeria then return it to the police....
They should raise their bid.
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How many percent for the pastor?
Dude is rich for life!!!
-D great anonymous now as Vivian Reginalds
That gem is worth far more than that and in sieera leone the proceeds could establish scores of lowcost housing units for the poor,, agricultural settlements and plantations, scholarships, revolving loans for widows, vocational training centres,or even a technical university to train technivcal and entrepreneurial capacity. Sierra leone govt is probably too poor to do this but the pastor can now do it by the
It can only be returned by a Sierra leonian pastor,my Nigerian pastor cannot do that,even me that is typing this. Haba,poverty dey sweet? Even if I no sellam up to the amount they're bidding now but at least I go use the proceeds pursue poverty out of my lineage.
U are stupid,709 carats is worth far more than that.
When God says yes, your story can change in an instant.
He does not need you to reduce your dreams to make it more do able for him. He's God all by himself.
Just trust him. Jehovah Jireh.
God gifted this man with something and he went ahead and transferred it to the government,what is a bucket of water adding to an ocean.high blood pressure for him
When the Kardashians and Beyonce etc are wearing 7katat worth tens of millions u want to pay 7mill for a whole seven hundred karat...its 700 plus we are talking not 7karat oh..that diamond should be sold for 700mill
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