Prof Dr Rustam AbbasPUTRAJAYA, Dec 12 (Bernama) — Former Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Rustam Abbas was on Friday cleared by the Court of Appeal, of a charge of using a forged document to extend his service contract.
Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Raus Md Sharif made the decision with Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam and Vernon Ong Lam Kiat after dismissing the prosecution’s appeal.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission through deputy public prosecutor Asnawi Abu Hanipah had appealed against the Shah Alam Sessions Court ruling on Aug 2, 2011, to acquit and discharge Rustam without calling for his defence.
On May 16, this year, the High Court upheld the former professor’s acquittal.
Justice Raus said the court saw no reason to disturb the finding of facts made by the Sessions Court.
Rustam, 56, who is now retired, was alleged to have unlawfully used a forged letter with the heading, ‘Service extension contract as deputy vice-chancellor of Unisel’, dated Dec 28, 2006, as a genuine document.
He was accused of committing the offence at the state-owned university’s Human Resource office at Bestari Jaya campus in Kuala Selangor, Selangor on July 12, 2007.
The prosecution in its appeal had also submitted that Rustam who was acting vice chancellor of the university at the time, should be called to enter his defence on the charge.
However, counsel Afifuddin Ahmad Hafifi argued that the Sessions Court had meticulously assessed the evidence and rightly held that a prima facie case was not proven against Rustam.
— BERNAMA
