N Narendran, 37, was accused of dishonestly using forged state government documents and Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun’s fake referral numbers on a letter to cheat Hafizul Abdul Hamid, 45, over an investment involving medical equipment supplies for the hospital in 2015.

He was found guilty of 10 charges under Section 471 of the Penal Code and another 105 charges under Section 420 of the same code by the sessions court here last year.

Today’s decision spared Narendran from a 10-year sentence and 24 strokes of the rotan meted out earlier. He was out on RM85,000 bail after a stay of execution was allowed by the sessions court.

In deciding against the lower court’s decision today, High Court judicial commissioner Su Tiang Joo said the earlier conviction against the businessman was not safe.

He said the defence had raised reasonable doubt as there were questions whether the money given by Hafizul was for the purpose of supply of medical equipment or a friendly loan transaction.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fitri Sadaruddin prosecuted while RSN Rayer and S Meharaj appeared for Narendran.