IPOH, Dec 31 — The Sessions Court here today acquitted and discharged former Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zakaria Kasa for power abuse without calling for his defence.
Judge S. Indra Nehru ordered the release of Zakaria, 62, after finding the prosecution having failed to establish a prima facie in the case.
Zakaria, who was then chairman of the UPSI Executive Management Meeting, was charged with using his position by including his son for a job interview at the university five years ago.
He was alleged to have instructed UPSI registrar Mohd Faizi Othman to include the name of Mohd Fauzi Zakaria for the job interview which was held on September 12, 2014.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Chancellery Building at UPSI, in Tanjung Malim, between June 24 and September 12, 2014.
The charge, under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
On November 27 last year, Zakaria was charged with two counts of using his position to approve Mohd Fauzi’s appointment and that of daughter-in-law, Siti Nooraishah Mansor, as the university staff.
However, on June 20 this year, the prosecution amended the charges into only one charge involving the son.
Deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Nurul Wahida Jalaluddin, prosecuted, while lawyers Shahidah Muslimah Roslan, Noor Hidayah Mohd Saad and Mohd Khairul Fairuz Rahman, represented Zakaria. ― Bernama
