KUALA LUMPUR: The Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) has recommended for law firms to establish a trust account jointly controlled by lawyers and their clients to curb the increasingly criminal breach of trust (CBT) cases.

Its director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf believed in this way, cases of CBT involving lawyers and their clients could be eliminated.

"This is an important message that the Commercial Crime Investigation Department wants to convey to the Bar Council. The proposal is not something that is difficult to do, but makes it easier for all parties involved in financial transactions through lawyers," he said in a statement today.

He was commenting on a statement by the Association of Real Estate Lawyers (Hartaguam) yesterday advising the public to check the lawyers' background before entrusting them to handle their assets to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

Ramli said that this is to avoid misperceptions, including misuse of clients' money by lawyers for business, investment and even for money laundering.

"Only transparency can avoid negative perceptions of the legal institutions," he said. -BERNAMA

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/06/1069080/bukit-aman-says-law-firms-should-establish-trust-accounts-curb-cbt