MyWatch chairman freed from charges of spreading false info on PDRM

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairman Datuk R. Sri Sanjeevan was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court today of two counts of making and initiating the transmission of false communications on the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) on Twitter, three years ago.

Judge Datuk M.M Edwin Paramjothy made the decision after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against Sanjeevan, 39, as the person being summoned (OKS), at the end of the prosecution's case.

"The OKS is acquitted and discharged of both charges without having his defence called. The bail money is to be returned," he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurilya Ellyna Nor Azmal conducted the prosecution while lawyers S. Preakas and Miguel Sequerah represented Sanjeevan.

A total of eight prosecution witnesses were called to testify in the trial which began in June 2020.

On June 5, 2020, Sanjeevan was charged with intentionally making and initiating the transmission of false communication on PDRM with intent to annoy others through his Twitter account @SanjeevanSS.

The tweet was allegedly read at the Communication Office of the Bukit Aman police headquarters here, at 3.15pm on April 7, 2020.

The businessman was also accused of committing a similar offence via the @My_CrimeWatch Twitter account which was read at the Commercial Criminal Investigation Department of the Bukit Aman police headquarters here, at 8.15am on May 17, the same year.

Both offences were allegedly committed at 4.20pm on March 18, 2020 and 9.07pm on May 16, the same year.

The charges framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, carries a maximumi imprisonment of one year or a fine or both, if convicted.

Sanjeevan when met by reporters said he was grateful for today's decision and thanked the legal team handling the case.