The following article details the ordeal of a 34 year old indian
man who works for HDB and was accused of stealing $200,000.00 from
their safe. He was eventually vindicated by his good lawyer, but
who pays for his ordeal? HDB readily accuses him, and sets him
through the entire ordeal whereby he was forced to make a statement
that he stoled the money, but he reported that he was forced into
making confession by Police and his lawyer managed to bring about
justice. But I just wonder, who pays for his ordeal?
Does this means, that a government body can just point a fingure at
anyone who works for them and get away scott free? Personally, I
think HDB should pay his lawyer fees, and the poor man should sue
for damages and forget the goddamned job with HDB.
HDB man cleared of stealing $200,000
Confession to cops wasn't given voluntarily
Case not proven beyond reasonable doubt
By Selina Lum
A HOUSING Board employee accused of stealing $200,000 from the
board's office in Bukit Merah walked out of court a free man
yesterday.
Mr Selvakumar Pillai Suppiah Pillai, 34, wept after he was
acquitted by a district court, and knelt down to thank his
lawyer.
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Mr Subhas Anandan had argued that the prosecution's case was based
on circumstantial evidence.
District Judge Doris Lai acquitted Mr Selvakumar after a 12-day
trial, saying that the prosecution had not proven its case beyond
reasonable doubt.
She had earlier thrown out the man's confession as she found the
statement had not been given voluntarily.
Mr Selvakumar had claimed his T-shirt was ripped off and tied
around his head while he was interrogated, that he was punched in
the stomach, had cold water poured over him while he was naked in
an air-conditioned room, and had his nipples pinched by a police
officer.
Clasping his hands together, he told The Straits Times yesterday:
'I'm very happy and relieved.'
His wife, 33, was close to tears as she tended to their
one-year-old daughter.
Added her husband: 'Right now, I'm waiting for HDB to send me a
letter to say I can have my job back.'
Mr Selvakumar, who had been suspended from his post as an
administrative assistant with HDB, was accused of stealing
$199,575.78 from a safe at the office after 6.15pm on June 30 last
year.
Three HDB employees testified that he had turned up for work to
help count the day's cash collection, even though it was his day
off.
He then disappeared, so they left for dinner without him. He showed
up later, saying he had gone home to pick up a bottle of
liquor.
The prosecution highlighted his 'sudden wealth' as clear inference
that he had stolen the money.
On the night of June 30, he deposited $1,000 into two bank
accounts. On July 1, he paid more than $21,000 to redeem jewellery
he and his wife had pawned.
On July 2, his father-in-law deposited $16,400 into his own bank
account. On July 4, his home was raided and $2,000 found.
While he was on remand, his wife deposited about $50,000 into her
account, some of this from her father, which she used to bail him
out.
Mr Selvakumar earned $1,200 a month, yet he and his family came by
in excess of $76,000 overnight, said the prosecution. However, Mr
Anandan argued: 'In this country, a man is not convicted on
suspicion or on the prosecution's speculations.'
Mr Selvakumar said he had savings of up to $25,000 at home for
emergencies. His wife, Madam Rajaswari Thiruvengadam, said she had
borrowed money and pawned jewellery to raise the bail.
She also said the money in her father-in-law's account was a
friend's and he was keeping it for him.