KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 53 cases of criminal breach of trust (CBT), involving an estimated value of RM54.96 million, have been detected among lawyers from 2023 until May 15 this year.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) director Datuk Seri Mohamed Ramli Yoosuf said this figure included 31 cases with losses amounting to RM35.9 million last year, while another 22 cases (RM19.05 million) had been investigated from the start of this year until last Wednesday.
He said one of the notable cases involved a police report made by a 53-year-old company director at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters on May 15.
"The victim claimed to have been deceived by a legal firm in a land purchase transaction in Plentong, Johor, resulting in a loss of RM4.8 million.
"According to the report, around June 2018, the complainant's company signed an agreement with another company for the purchase of 55 acres of land valued at RM40 million.
"Following discussions, the complainant made a deposit payment of RM4.8 million into the account of the legal firm appointed by the selling company.
"Subsequently, in August 2018, the complainant's lawyer conducted an official search on the land and found that a new private caveat had been submitted by another company," he said at a press conference here today.
Ramli said the complainant also received a letter from the selling company's lawyer directing the complainant to cancel their private caveat on the land in September 2018.
"The seller also initiated court proceedings against the complainant, and the court found that the RM4.8 million deposit paid by the complainant through the appointed legal firm was not in the firm's account.
"The court also discovered that all the money had been spent by the legal firm through 100 cheques and bank drafts.
"In a separate case, we received a police report from a 60-year-old company director in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, claiming to have been deceived by a lawyer with the title 'Datuk' to manage a civil lawsuit against a banking institution for raising the interest rate on the complainant's company loan," he said.
He explained that after discussions, the complainant made a payment of RM3.73 million in legal fees into the account of the legal firm.
"However, the complainant instructed his lawyer to withdraw the lawsuit as the banking institution had agreed to lower the interest rate on his company loan last February.
"The complainant requested the return of the legal fees previously paid.
"The lawyer informed him that there were legal service charges of RM521,498, and the complainant would only receive the remaining RM3.2 million. The complainant agreed to this condition. However, to date, the complainant has not received the promised refund."
He said both cases are being investigated under Section 409 of the Penal Code.