Ex-company director acquitted of making false statement

KUALA LUMPUR: A former company director was freed of a charge that he intentionally furnished a false statement to Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd.

Sessions Court judge Shamsudin Abdullah acquitted and discharged J. Alan Rajendram, 61, ruling that the prosecution had failed to raise a prima facie case against him.

Rajendram had claimed trial to knowingly furnishing a false statement on the affairs of Linear Corporation Bhd, which was a listed corporation, in a general announcement by the company.

The statement was regarding an acceptance letter of award for the construction, completion and com- missioning of a district cooling plant in Manjung, Perak, for the Kingdome Project.

The offence was alleged to have been committed at Bursa Malaysia’s Exchange Square on Bukit Kewangan here on Dec 29, 2009.

The charge under Section 369(b) (B) of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007 carries a maxi- mum 10-year jail term and a fine of up to RM3mil upon conviction.

DPP from the Securities Commission Mohd Hafiz Mohd Yusof prosecuted, while Rajendram was represented by Datuk N. Sivananthan.

When contacted, Sivananthan said the crux of the defence was that Rajendram had no knowledge that the report was false.

It was learnt that Rajendram was now a chartered accountant, working in his own firm.

Linear, in an executive summary report in 2011, revealed that the Kingdome Project was supposed to be the world’s largest dome, housing a fully air-conditioned indoor city with retail, leisure, resort, food and beverage facilities upon completion.