KUALA LUMPUR: A REAL estate lawyer appeared calm when she was sentenced to six years’ jail for misusing RM418,500 of her client’s money two years ago.
Herlina Khamisiah Sauli, 36, was sentenced after she pleaded guilty to committing criminal breach of trust (CBT) using money belonging to army retiree Wan Mohd Husain Wan Ibrahim.
She had been engaged by Wan Mohd Husain in 2012 to help sell his house at No. 17, Jalan Enggang Timor 12 in Taman Seri Keramat here. He was informed on April 11 last year that the buyer of the house had paid the remaining RM418,000 for the property.
However, when Herlina failed to hand him the sales proceeds, he got suspicious and went to her law firm, Messrs Herlina and Co, at Jalan Wangsa Delima 5, Pusat Bandar Wangsa Maju in Wangsa Maju, and found it closed.
Wan Mohd Husain lodged a report after his calls to her went unanswered. The mother-of-one, according to the charge sheet, committed the offence at the law firm on Oct 31, 2012.
Herlina, during the proceedings here yesterday, pleaded for a lenient sentence as she was no longer a practising lawyer and had to look after a 3-year-old child.
Deputy public prosecutor S. Nithia urged the court to impose a heavy sentence as Herlina had abused her position as a lawyer, causing Wan Mohd Husain to suffer financial losses.
“The offence has also affected the legal profession... (in which) society loses faith in other lawyers entrusted with sales proceeds,” she said, adding that the sentence would serve as a lesson to others.
Sessions judge Abdul Rashid Daud then sentenced Herlina to six years’ jail starting from yesterday.
Herlina also pleaded guilty at a separate Sessions Court to misusing RM261,000 belonging to other clients.
She was accused of committing CBT using the money in a bank account at Al Rajhi Bank in Taman Connaught, Cheras.
She pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the same law firm between March 2012 and Sept last year.
Herta Masrun, who was one of Herlina’s clients, lodged a report against the latter on Oct 11 last year. Herlina was arrested on Aug 28.
She faces imprisonment of up to 20 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction under Section 409 of the Penal Code.
Judge Norsharidah Awang fixed Friday for sentencing and granted Herlina a RM15,000 bail in one surety. Nithia also prosecuted in the second case, while Herlina was not represented in both cases.