The fifth accused in the murder of deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais told the High Court today that he saw the seventh accused driving a car, believed to belong to the victim, after a road crash which occurred on the morning of Sept 4, 2015, the day Kevin Morais was reported missing.
M Vishwanath, 28, said he was at that time with S Nimalan, AK Thinesh Kumar and R Dinishwaran heading to a hotel in a Mitsubishi Triton, before the four-wheel-drive vehicle, with Nimalan at the wheel, crashed into the rear of Kevin Morais’ car at a traffic light intersection.
“When the 4WD turned left at the traffic light intersection, Nimalan answered a telephone call and was talking when he suddenly crashed into a car.
“After the crash, both vehicles stopped. I asked Nimalan what happened, was there any problem. He said no problem, it’s alright, I’ll handle it and told me to remain in the 4WD with Thinesh Kumar and Dinishwara, who were sleeping.
Vishwanath, who is the fourth defence witness, was testifying during examination-in-chief by lawyer V Rajehgopal on the sixth day of the defence trial.
Vishwanath said after that he saw Nimalan and the driver of the other car talking before both returned and got into their respective vehicles, and moved the vehicles to the roadside.
Nimalan parked the Mitsubishi Triton in front of the car that was believed to be Morais’, before another car, a Proton Perdana V6, with G Gunasekaran and S Ravi Chandaran inside, arrived and stopped behind the victim’s car, he said.
Sometime later, Vishwanath said he saw Ravi Chandaran in the victim’s car and drove away after sounding the horn, while Nimalan got back into the Mitsubishi Triton and trailed behind the car with Ravi Chandaran at the wheel before the vehicles went on different directions at a traffic light intersection.
Questioned when he was arrested by the police, Vishwanath said he was arrested on Sept 21, 2015 and had since been in remand at the Sungai Buloh Prison.
“I came to Kuala Lumpur to buy a car and now I’m at Sungai Buloh, and when asked, I was told that I have committed an offence under Section 302 (of the Penal Code).
“I don’t know what to say. I’m not involved in the murder,” he said when asked by Rajehgopal what he would like to tell the court being charged with Morais’ murder.
Dinishwaran, 26; Thinesh Kumar, 25; Vishwanath; Nimalan, 25, Ravi Chandaran, 47, and an army doctor Colonel Dr R Kunaseegaran, 55, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Morais, 55, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, while the deputy public prosecutor was on his way from Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul, to No 1, Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya.
His remains were found in a concrete-filled drum in Persiaran Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur on Sept 16, 2015, after he was reported missing on Sept 4.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and face the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The hearing before judge Azman Abdullah continues tomorrow.
- Bernama
