2 lawyers in Kevin Morais’ murder case withdraw

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kevin Morais murder defence trial which was to have commenced yesterday at the High Court was adjourned after two lawyers for two of the accused withdrew from the case.

Justice Datuk Azman Abdullah adjourned the trial to tomorrow (Jan 19) after granting counsel Chua Li Li and M Manoharan’s applications to withdraw from representing R. Dinishwaran, 26, and AK Thinesh Kumar, 25, and to enable the two accused to engage new lawyers.

Earlier Li Li told the court that she and Manoharan, who was not present, did not receive further instructions from the two accused, who allegedly murdered deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais with four others, to represent them. Deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin did not object to the lawyers’ applications.

Meanwhile, counsel Datuk N Sivananthan is representing Dr R Kunaseegaran, 55; while V Rajehgopal is counsel for M Vishwanath, 28; S Nimalan, 25; and S. Ravi Chandaran, 47.

On Nov 20 last year, the High Court ordered the six to enter their defence after ruling that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against them.

Kunaseegaran, Dinishwaran, Thinesh Kumar, Vishwanath, Nimalan and Ravi Chandaran are accused of committing the offence along the stretch at Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul to No.1 Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the same Code, carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction. On Sept 16, 2015, Kevin Morais’ body was recovered in a drum filled with concrete, at Persiaran Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya near here.

The DPP, 55, was reported missing on Sept 4, 2015 and last seen leaving his apartment at Menara Duta here and got into a Proton Perdana with registration number WA6264Q.