LAWYERS IN THE DOCK FOR CBT: Police unearth 30 more cases
28/05/2007 NST By Lee Shi-Ian

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have unearthed cases of yet another 30 lawyers involved in criminal breach of trust. Their names and details will be released soon.

In the meantime, the Commercial Crimes Division’s telephones have been ringing off the hook with lawyers whose names were released yesterday asking for details and some wanting to surrender.

The public have also been calling in to provide more information on other lawyers who had committed CBT.

Federal Commercial Crime Division director Datuk Ramli Yusuff, who is in Penang, said he had asked his officers to collect all the necessary information.

"I will get all the details when I return to my office in Kuala Lumpur. Give me some time as I need to ascertain that the details to be released are accurate. Once it is ready, I am hoping the media will assist us by publishing it so we can nab them," he said.
On Saturday, police released photographs and the last known addresses of 25 lawyers being investigated for CBT.

Ramli had announced that over 100 lawyers were on the police wanted list for investigations into CBT cases involving tens of millions of ringgit.

The cases were reported as far back as 1995, with 32 being solved to date.

So far this year, there have been 50 reports lodged against lawyers nationwide.

Most of these lawyers are no longer practising.

Ramli had described the situation as alarming and said police would seek the help of the Bar Council to track down the errant lawyers.

In February, a lawyer and a businessman were arrested by police for attempting to swindle RM2.5 million from another businessman in a land deal.

It would have been a perfect RM2.5 million swindle — if the buyer had not checked on the ownership of the land.

The 38-year-old businessman allegedly received two separate payments of RM1.3 million and RM1 million from the businessman for two pieces of land in Hutan Melintang, Perak.

The money was paid through the man’s lawyer.

Three months later, the suspect approached the businessman again and offered to sell him another piece of land worth RM6 million.

The victim agreed to purchase the land and paid an initial RM1 million deposit.

The money was also paid to the same lawyer. Legal and miscellaneous fees of RM200,000 were incurred.

Police are investigating whether the lawyer involved in the land transaction had colluded with the suspect.

Cause for Concern

THIS year alone, more than 50 cases have been lodged against lawyers.
20 to 30 lawyers are disbarred each year by the Bar Council.
IN the past 20 years, the Bar Council has had to fork out RM24 million to compensate clients of crooked lawyers.

* The Bar Council has 12,500 members.

HEALTH Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the government should introduce a mechanism to check transactions handled by lawyers to prevent breach of trust.

“In Malaysia, lawyers act as stakeholders in sale and purchase deals or change of titles.

“They have room to cheat, particularly in transactions involving the land and district offices.

“There are weaknesses when a lawyer applies for a change in land title on his client’s behalf. Conditions governing such transactions have to be tightened to prevent cheating and abuse.”

PROMINENT lawyer Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the Bar Council must tighten the rules for young lawyers intending to open their own firms to check abuses.

“There are no rules to control and regulate them. As such, many lawyers can set up a firm after completing their studies despite lacking experience,” he told Bernama.

“Errant lawyers must be exposed to protect the profession’s image besides safeguarding clients’ interests.”