Cops probing land sale fraud involving 'Datuk' lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR: The police are investigating a case of a man being cheated in a real estate deal, allegedly by a lawyer with a "Datuk" title.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the department received a report on March 16.

"According to the complainant, he met the lawyer in November and decided to hire his law firm to handle the sale of land in Sepang," he told a press conference on Wednesday (March 27).

The land was sold for RM1.4mil and the victim received RM381,110, he said.

"Based on the agreement, the suspect was supposed to manage the proceeds from the sale to settle matters with the Inland Revenue Board and hand over the balance to the victim.

"However, until now, the suspect has failed to do so.

"We are investigating the case under Section 409 of the Penal Code (for criminal breach of trust involving property)," he said.

Lawyers must ensure the interests of their clients are taken care of, Comm Ramli said.

"As a legal practitioner, a lawyer must always be honest and have integrity in all dealings," he added.

In a separate case, Comm Ramli said the department has opened five investigation papers in connection with an alleged investment scam utilising the name "Sabah Small and Medium Industry".

"The scheme has resulted in losses of RM745,685 since January. Investigations showed the scheme started in 2019 and promised high returns. The scheme promised RM1mil returns for every RM1,000 invested," he said.

Comm Ramli said the investment offer is made in person or through relatives.

"Victims will then participate in seminars and courses. After being convinced, the victims will transfer their money to the bank account given. However, after the transfer is made, the victim will not get any returns or profits," he said.

He urged victims of the scheme to come forward as soon as possible.

"We advise people to always stay vigilant and verify information before investing in any scheme.

"Don't easily believe schemes which promise too high returns. If it's too good to be true, more often than not it is a scam," he said.

Comm Ramli advised the public to get reliable information from official sources such as the SemakMule portal, Alert List Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission before making any investment.