KUALA LUMPUR: Criminal breach of trust (CBT) cases involving lawyers are expected to rise this year, police said.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said up to July this year, police had recorded 27 cases involving RM20.37 million in losses.
"This compares with the 31 cases reported last year involving RM33.34 million in losses and 29 cases reported in 2022 involving RM13.01 million in losses.
"We expect to see a further increase in cases as the year progresses," he said at a press conference at the Federal CCID headquarters here today.
He said police recorded two CBT cases this month, involving lawyers in Johor and Selangor.
"On Aug 6, we received a report from a 51-year-old man who claimed that a legal firm had cheated him with regard to the management of a company service fee payment.
"The man, a housing agent, had, in 2013, appointed the law firm as a stakeholder to receive service fees from clients.
"A bank account was opened and RM833,473.75 was deposited into the account."
He added that in 2017, the complainant was investigated and charged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the funds were frozen.
He said in May this year, the complainant was freed of the charges by the Court of Appeal and the funds were supposed to be returned to him.
"The following month, the complainant submitted a claim to the law firm to return the money, but it failed to do so.
"In July, he met the lawyer involved and was told that the lawyer was facing financial difficulties and had used the money to prevent his house from being auctioned."
He said the complainant checked the account and found that the money was no longer there.
On Aug 8, Selangor police received a report about a 72-year-old man who had been cheated by a law firm in a land sale deal.
"The complainant, a retiree, said he had appointed a law firm on Nov 27 last year to handle the sale of a 518sq m plot of land in Batu Pahat, Johor.
"The land was agreed to be sold at RM140,000."
On June 20 this year, the buyer obtained a loan for the RM140,000, which was deposited into the client's account via the law firm, he added.
He said between last month and the time the report was lodged, the complainant had not received payment from the law firm.
"The complainant also received two cheques from the lawyer in July, which were supposedly payments for the land, but both cheques bounced.".
Ramli said he had consistently recommended that two signatories be required for client accounts.
"This is to allow the client to access the account and verify any funds received.
"Loopholes that create opportunities for dishonesty in the legal profession should be closed immediately."
He said his department was optimistic and prepared to offer full cooperation to address the situation.