Remind You of Olmert?

Seems a while back that a group of Australians bought a handwritten Koran, in its jewel-encrusted case, from a former Russian KGB colonel. They planned to offer it to the highest bidder, and began negotiating with representatives of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the absolute monarch of the oil-rich state, settling on a price of £4m.

But the Sultan, despite his estimated £22billion fortune, allegedly failed to pay up, and yesterday the case reached the New South Wales Supreme Court - where it was promptly dismissed. Judge Robert McDougall ruled it could not be heard in Australia and said the men would have to sue in Brunei. But Michael McGurk, director of their company, Garsec, said this course of action was not available.

And why?

The Sultan has declared himself above the law in his own country.