Former Nurse Freed Of Human Trafficking Charge

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- A former assistant nurse at a private hospital wept tears of happiness today after the Sessions Court here freed her of a baby trafficking charge without calling for her defence. Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain acquitted and discharged Gulab Jan Abdul Jabir, 50, after finding that the prosecution had failed to raise a prima facie case against her. In the judgment, he said investigation of the case was not conducted properly and the prosecution also failed to state specifically the illegal activity allegedly committed by Gulab Jan. "Without explaining clearly the activity committed, the accused did not know the wrong she did to make her defence and this is a miscarriage of justice against the accused," he added. He said there was also no evidence to show that Gulab Jan accepted commission or cash from anyone in the alleged activity. "The facts showed that the accused was only a worker at the hospital at that time and date, it did not prove that the accused was responsible in trafficking in the baby for exploitation purpose," he added. Gulab Jan was charged with trafficking a baby girl for exploitation purposes at a private hospital at Jalan Ipoh, Sentul here at 2.10pm on Nov 1, 2010. She was charged under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons And Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. The law provides a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and fine, if found guilty. Deputy public prosecutor NorAmalina Ismail prosecuted, while Gulap Jan was represented by lawyer Gerard Lazarus. -- BERNAMA