WRP’S ousted CEO and wife charged for CBT

24th November 2020, Kuala Lumpur–WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd’s (WRP) former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dato’ Lee Son Hong, claimed trial this morning at the Shah Alam Criminal Sessions Court.

There are three charges against him 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.

The Attorney General’s chambers filed the charges in the case involving transactions valued at over RM145 million.

Dato’ Lee’s wife, Datin Too Sooi Keng, also claimed trial to seven charges. They are for abetment under Section 109 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust involving transactions valued at over RM108 million.

The charges follow raids conducted at WRP’s premises by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in June this year to investigate allegations of misappropriations of funds.

Special Counsel for WRP, Mathew Thomas Philip, Founder and Managing Partner of Thomas Philip says, “We are very pleased that the authorities are proceeding with the levelling of criminal charges against Dato’ Lee and Datin Too, for the misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust during an extended period 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 adds.

The new Board of Directors (BoD) who took control of WRP earlier this year, ordered the removal of Dato’ Lee while instructing Thomas Philip to sue him.

The suit is for fraudulently paying his two privately owned companies, Advanced Medical Products Sdn Bhd (AMP) and Advanced Healthcare Products Sdn Bhd (AHP), approximately RM129 million and RM378 million, respectively.

The BoD also filed a further case for fraud involving Dato’ 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 Dato’ Seri Musa bin Tan Sri Hj Hassan as an Advisor on Regulatory Compliance and Security to ensure the company’s adherence to Malaysia’s regulatory requirements. 

In August, they filed four additional suits for over RM150 million against Dato’ 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.