Former accused suspected something amiss on seeing drum with blood stains

KUALA LUMPUR: A former accused in the murder of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais told the High Court here yesterday that he suspected somthing amiss after seeing blood leaking from a drum.

G.Gunasekaran, 48, who was the second accused in the case, said he asked S Ravi Chandaran (who is the sixth accused) and pathologist Colonel Dr K Kunaseegarany (the fi rst accused), who were his friends, about it, but they told him to not interfere.

“On Sept 5, 2015, I received a call from Ravi Chandaran telling that someone was making mischief at my shop. I immediately went to the shop in my car.

“On arriving, I saw S. Nimalan (fifth accused) near the drum. They pointed at the drum and I saw blood stains on it. I was shivering and was afraid with what I saw,” he said.

Gunasekaran said he then asked them what they had done and what was inside the drum and left after telling them that he did not want to be part of what they were doing.

He said this during examinationin-chief by deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin on the 37th day trial of Kevin Morais’ murder.

Gunasekaran, who is the 54th prosecution witness, was called to testify after he changed his plea to guilty on a charge of concealing Kevin Morais’ body and disposing of the number plate of the deceased’s car, and was sentenced to two years’ jail for the offence by the Sessions Court yesterday.

Following which, the High Court discharged and acquitted him on the charge of murdering Kevin Morais.

Gunasekaran said after leaving the shop, he received a call from Dr Kunaseegaran, who said he ( Kunaseegaran) was going to the shop, but he (Gunasekaran) told Kunaseegaran not to go there, and

On Sept 5, 2015, I received a call from Ravi Chandaran telling that someone was making mischief at my shop. I immediately went to the shop in my car.

instead to meet him at a Petronas gas station in Subang Jaya.

“I went to Petronas. He came and I related to him what happened ( blood stains on the drum). My hand were shaking when I related to him what happened and then told him I was afraid something untoward would happen. I told him I suspected something happened to someone.

“Dr Kunaseegaran’s reaction was calm and with a smile, he said ‘tak apa, you cool down, relax dulu, saya bawa you jalan-jalan’ ( Don’t worry, you cool down, relax fi rst. I take you for a drive). He bought me beer to calm me down. He held my hand which was shaking,” he added.

Recalling the incident, Gunasekaran said that on Sept 4, 2015, he went to buy a drum container with Nimalan after being asked to do so by Ravi Chandaran.

“After buying the drum, we placed it in the back of the Mitsubishi Triton car and went back. Nimalan sent me back to the shop and the drum was placed near my shop, and when I asked why it was placed there, he said he would come back later for it,” he said, adding that Nimalan left and he continued with renovation work of the shop.

Not long after that, Gunasekaran said Ravi Chandaran contacted him to inform that he was coming to the shop, but he (Gunasekaran) told him that he was going out to buy concrete cement and when he returned he saw Ravi Chandaran and Nimalan already there.

“When the lorry poured the cement in front of the shop, we (Gunasekaran and a worker) leveled it and Ravi Chandaran asked us to put cement into the drum,” he said, adding that they then left the shop and the cement-filled drum was left in front of the shop to dry.

On Sept 6, 2015, Gunasekaran said Dr Kunaseegaran asked him out again and they went to Banting. He said while they were on the way to Banting, Dr Kunaseegaran showed an image of a burning car on his handphone.

“He asked me whether I knew whose car it was. He said ‘ you tahu tak ada seorang Timbalan Pendakwa Raya ( TPR) sudah hilang. Ini kereta dia’ ( Don’t you know that a deputy public prosecutor is missing. This is his car).

“I asked who. Dr Kunaseegaran said you don’t know my DPP, Kevin Morais? Then, I suspected the incidents were connected. I used to attend Dr. Kunaseegaran’s corruption case in Shah Alam court. I asked him whether he was involved. He smiled and told me to mind my own business with renovation work of my shop,” he added.

Five men, R Dinishwaran, 24; A K Thinesh Kumar, 23; M.Vishwanath, 26; Nimalan, 23, and Ravi Chandaran, 45, had claimed trial to murdering Kevin Morais along Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul to No. 1 Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, while Dr Kunaseegaran, 53, claimed trial to abetting them at the same place, date and time.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on Jan 17 next year. — Bernama

G Gunasekaran, second accused