PETALING JAYA: The former CEO of glove maker WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Datuk Lee Son Hong, on Tuesday claimed trial at the Shah Alam Sessions Court to three charges under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and eight charges for criminal breach of trust (CBT) under Section 409 of the Penal Code involving transactions valued at over RM145 million.
Separately, Lee’s wife Datin Too Sooi Keng claimed trial to seven charges for abetment under Section 109 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust involving transactions valued at over RM108 million.
The charges followed raids conducted at WRP’s premises by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in June this year to investigate allegations of misappropriations of funds.
WRP special counsel and Thomas Philip Advocates & Solicitors founder and managing partner Mathew Thomas Philip said it is pleased that the authorities are proceeding with the levelling of criminal charges against Lee and Too for misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust during an extended period of time while the organisation was under their stewardship.
“WRP has willingly cooperated with MACC every step of the way and we shall continue to be transparent about our operations in the future,” he said in a statement.
The new board of directors (BoD), who took control of WRP earlier this year, ordered the removal of Lee while instructing Thomas Philip to file a lawsuit against him for fraudulently paying his two privately owned companies Advanced Medical Products Sdn Bhd and Advanced Healthcare Products Sdn Bhd, RM129 million and RM378 million respectively.
A further case for fraud involving RM8.4 million was also filed by the BoD against Lee for purported personal advances paid to Tower Success Group Ltd.
In March this year, the BoD appointed former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan as an adviser on regulatory compliance and security to ensure the company’s adherence to Malaysia’s regulatory requirements.
In August, four additional suits for over RM150 million were filed against Lee relating to the purchase of production lines by WRP between 2014 and 2016, which a forensic audit had identified as having been inflated to over twice the market value.
