'File 14/115 VII Annex (B 9) Abu Musa oxide: collected background material on the case' [‎32v] (75/1904)

68
Annex (31).
Affidavit ofNejef binNakhuda
Nejef bin Haji Nakliuda Ali states on solemn affirmation
I solemnly declare the following to be the facts regarding my interviews
with Mr. Thomas Brown of Messrs. Wonckhaus and Company and it ^ss^xy 1
am prepared to confirm this statement by oath (A the Koran before a Mujtalud.
I have had several conversations about the Abu Musa case with parties inter
ested. The first was when Abdullah bin Hasan Samaiyeh came to see me accom-
panied by Mirza Hussein (jermani .
♦ The Dragoman of the German Consulate, came to Blinder Abbas and stayed in
the house of Haji Amin-ut-Tujjar. Abdullah on landing from the ship came to my
house and asked me to come over and have a talk about the matter at x:»ajj Amm s
house. I went over to Haji Amin's house and there Mirza Hussein. Abduila
and Haji Ali *' Germani "j were present,
t Factotum of the firm in Lingah. Abdullah asked me to give him a paper stat
ing that I handed over my share of the concession on Abu Musa to Abdullah bin
Hasan. The paper was to be given a date prior to the date of the contract between
Messrs. Wonckhaus and Hasan. He also asked me to give him another paper
saying that I was quite satisfied with the contract. I refused saying that I would
not do anything of the sort unless they settled up my account with David Sassoon,
that is my father's on account of Oxide, carpets, etc. I said if they did not give me
back the carpets they should pay me 20,000 (twenty thousand) rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. and settle
mv account and then I would give them the < aper. However, they did not give
me the money and I mentioned the matter to the British Consulate. These
two persons came to Bunder Abbas not long after the British Consul Lieutenant
Gabriel returned there from a trip he made to Shargah, etc. Some months later
Mr. Brown came to Bunder Abbas. The exact date can be ascertained from the
Consul, Bunder Abbas, as I reported the matter to him at the time, but it was just
about two years ago. Mr. Brown had two interviews with me-once at the house
of Jamshidian's ; .gent and once at the Customs house. At the first interview Agha
Ohulam Ali Khorassani was present, at the second Mr. Moses Khan, the Customs
Director. Agha Ghulam Ali is i .gent of Messrs. Wonckhaus and Company. Mr.
Brown had a long talk with me. Before beginning to talk about Abu Musa he dis
missed two Hindus, Gulshan and Asanand Ghulab. Mr. Brown asked me why
1 had not signed the papers shown me by Abdullah and Mirza Hussein. I said
there appeared to be no advantage for me in doing so, and therefore I hadn't.
Mr. Brown said he had bought the share in the Oxide Company belonging to Shiikh
Sagar for Reals 250. I replied that Shaikh Sagar had never made anything out
of the business and so would sell cheap. Mr. Brown said he wanted to buy my
share and said that he would settle up all my accounts with Hasan bin Ali and
Abdullah. I never offered to sell my share to Mr. Brown. In fact as I reported to
the Consul '.te at the time Mr. Brown offered to buy my share. I would swear
to his on the Koran. This took place in the presence of Agha Ghulam Ali Khoras
sani. At the second interview and after Mr. Moses Khan tried to persuade me to
go to Lingah to settle with Mr. Brown. He continued to endeavour to make me
do this for a long time and on my refusing he got annoyed with me and worried me
to such an extent that I finally had to resign my post as Hamal Bashi at Bunder
Abbas.
Mark of Nejef bin Haji Nakhuda Ali.
- Declared and signed before me this 19th day of March 1910.
A. P. TREVOR,
Nejef admitted and affirmed, on oath, what is recorded, before the humblest
♦Chief Shia jriest of Mobammerah, where Khalai bin YuSuf -al-Osfoor.
j^a'af is serving. j ^ated 28th Rabi II, 1 320 .