Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf has urged the Bar Council to take sterner action against rogue lawyers to prevent more victims from being duped.
He told a press conference at the CCID headquarters on Friday (May 17) that a total of RM19mil in losses have been recorded in 22 criminal breach of trust (CBT) cases involving lawyers this year.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2rps3nvx
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
He told a press conference at the CCID headquarters on Friday (May 17) that a total of RM19mil in losses have been recorded in 22 criminal breach of trust (CBT) cases involving lawyers this year.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2rps3nvx
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 This is also related to the judge. Please look at the following cases.
00:07 The case of breaking the trust of the judge in relation to the loss of RM 3.2 million.
00:13 On 15 May 2024, two days ago, a police report was made in Sungai Buloh,
00:22 by a 60-year-old company director who claimed to have been cheated by a law firm.
00:30 According to the report, on July 2023, the judge appointed a lawyer named Dato
00:37 to handle a civil lawsuit against a banking institution
00:43 for increasing the rate of company loan interest.
00:47 After discussing, the judge made a court order
00:51 to transfer RM 3,723,663.57 to the account of the judge.
01:05 He made a payment, the judge.
01:08 However, on February 2024, the judge ordered his lawyer
01:13 to cancel the lawsuit because the related banking institution
01:19 has agreed to decrease the rate of company loan interest.
01:24 They had a negotiation with the bank.
01:27 The judge asked for the cost of the court that had been paid before this to be returned.
01:33 The RM 3 million that was earlier.
01:35 The judge informed that there was a charge for the court service of RM 521,498.60.
01:45 The judge would only get the balance of RM 3,202,164.97.
01:55 The judge agreed to the terms.
01:58 However, the judge has not accepted the return as promised.
02:03 The case is being investigated under Section 409 of the Penal Code.
02:08 We can see the timing. Because the judge who has the money in his client's account
02:18 must be able to issue the money.
02:21 If I want it today, I can get it today.
02:25 There is no delay in saying that I will pay later.
02:30 There are elements of breach of trust.
02:33 The second one is breach of trust by the judge.
02:38 This time, it involves a loss of 4.8 million.
02:43 The JSJK IPD Petaling Jaya, Selangor, has accepted a police report
02:48 made by a 53-year-old company manager
02:52 who claimed to have been cheated by a law firm in the matter of land purchase in the Johor Valley.
02:59 According to the report, around June 2018,
03:04 the judge has signed an agreement with another company
03:12 to purchase 55 acres of land worth RM 40 million.
03:17 After the agreement was made, the judge has made a payment
03:21 of 4.8 million to the law firm's account which was taken over by the seller.
03:28 In August 2018, the judge has made an official search on the land
03:34 and found a new claim of independence by another company.
03:42 In September 2018, the judge has also received a letter from the seller's lawyer
03:48 who instructed the judge to cancel the claim of independence of the seller's company against the land.
03:55 The seller has also resumed the court proceedings against the complainant.
04:02 In January 2024, the High Court Judge of Kuala Lumpur has given a trial
04:09 to the seller's company.
04:12 The decision was made after the court obtained the 4.8 million deposit money
04:19 which was paid by the complainant through the law firm which was taken over by the seller
04:25 and was not in the law firm's account.
04:29 The court also found that all the money was spent by the law firm
04:35 through 100 cheque and bank drafts.
04:40 The case is being investigated under Section 409 of the Criminal Code.
04:45 So what if the claim is not broken?
04:49 For the record, throughout the year 2020-2023,
04:53 31 cases of criminal breach of trust have been investigated
04:58 involving a loss of RM35,916,664.36.
05:07 This means that there are people out there who have lost almost RM36 million.
05:13 Meanwhile, for 2024 until 15 May,
05:17 a total of 22 cases are being investigated
05:21 with a loss of RM19,056,415.39.
05:30 It is expected that the number of cases will continue to increase.
05:34 It is also expected that the lawyers involved in the large amount of money
05:44 will be advised to always check the amount of money
05:49 so that such cases can be avoided.
05:53 That is why I suggest that this account must be a joint account
05:59 between the client and the lawyer.
06:02 I have been suggesting this for a long time.
06:06 If the client is not honest,
06:11 and the amount of money is only a fraction of the amount of money,
06:16 and the loss is a total of RM36 million,
06:22 the involvement of the lawyer in the case of criminal breach of trust is very unfortunate.
06:27 That is why I urge the Malaysian lawyers' council to take more firm action
06:33 against any lawyers who fail to carry out their responsibilities properly.
06:39 We are concerned that the lawyers in the investigation are still accepting such clients
06:45 because there are similar cases.
06:48 Thank you.
06:50 [END]