KUALA LUMPUR: Tears of relief flowed at the Sessions Court here today when former Health Ministry Department of Nursing director S. Tselvin was acquitted and discharged of the charge she abused her power five years ago.
Clad in a yellow and purple saree, Tselvin could not hold back her tears in the dock when Judge Azura Alwi meted out the judgement after the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused.
“The court found that the accused has no interest in the company Fort Mark Sdn Bhd, owned by Tselvin’s second son.
“She was also consistent when she testified, and it was not a mere denial or an afterthought,” she said.
The 61-year-old accused was charged with abusing her position by obtaining two projects worth RM12,300 for an IT company run by her son, R. Pravin, between Oct 13 and 15, 2014.
She allegedly committed the offence at the Department of Nursing of the Ministry of Health in Putrajaya.
The offence falls under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009, which carries a 20-year jail sentence and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe, or RM1,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nor Diana Noor Azwa prosecuted, while the accused was represented by lawyer S. S. Devanandan.