KUALA LUMPUR: Police are looking for 21 lawyers allegedly involved in 39 cheating and criminal breach of trust cases, involving some RM30.4mil.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Zakaria Ahmad said eight of the missing lawyers were set to be charged for the crimes, while the rest are needed to help with investigations.
“Checks with the Immigration Department revealed five have fled the country while 16 are believed to still be in Malaysia.
“The victims put their trust in these lawyers and in some cases, it took them a while to realise that they have been duped because the lawyers gave them all sorts of excuses," he said at a press conference at the division’s headquarters in Menara KPJ.
All 21, he said, have been struck of the Rolls and can no longer practice legally.
It is also learned that many of the lawyers, aged between 34 and 69, handled property purchases for their clients.
Among those police are searching for is Michael Persius Ubu, who was reportedly under investigations last year, along with Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony, over a land deal in Sabah worth RM155mil.
Comm Mohd Zakaria also encouraged the public to check a lawyer’s status with the Bar Council before hiring them.
Meanwhile, police are also looking for 117 suspects involved in loan sharks cases nationwide.
“These suspects are still at large and arresting them will help us solve many pending cases, ” he said.
Comm Mohd Zakaria said there are over 1,890 unsolved loan shark cases cases, since 2017.
He said Op Vulture was launched last month in an effort to curb illegal money lending.
Comm Mohd Zakaria said 700 money lending operations were inspected during the operation and 231 individuals were arrested.
