Morais’ murder trial postponed, last witness refuses to testify

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais’ murder trial yesterday was postponed when the seventh accused in the case refused to testify.

S Ravi Chandaran, 47, who is the sixth and last defence witness, was supposed to continue with his testimony yesterday, but declined to do so after taking his oath.

“I cannot testify because my mind is not stable due to not enough sleep and I was also not given food Wednesday night.

“After returning from court Wednesday, I was isolated in a closed cell with five foreign nationals. I could not sleep the whole night because they were talking and did not sleep, he said in Tamil, which was then translated by a court interpreter.

Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah, who presided the case, then called for a representative from the Sungai Buloh Prison to confirm the matter, but no prison officer was present.

“I cannot say anything because it’s not under my privilege.

I cannot testify because my mind is not stable due to not enough sleep and I was also not given food Wednesday night. After returning from court Wednesday, I was isolated in a closed cell with five foreign nationals. S Ravi Chandaran, sixth and last defence witness

“It is under the jurisdiction of the Prisons Department.

“Perhaps, he was placed separately because of his statement yesterday that his life was in danger. I request lawyer V Rajehgopal (who represented Ravi Chandaran) to continue with the examination-in- chief,” said Azman.

However, the proceeding, which entered its 16th day yesterday, could not be continued as Ravi Chandaran refused to respond to the lawyer’s question and kept saying that his mind was unstable.

On Wednesday, Ravi Chandaran shocked the High Court when he told the court that his defence testimony for the day might be his last as he could be dead after that.

R.Dinishwaran, AK Thinesh Kumar, M.Vishwanath, S Nimalan, Ravi Chandaran and an army doctor, Colonel Dr R Kunaseegaran, 55, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Kevin 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.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and faced the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. Dinishwaran, 26, Thinesh Kumar, 25, Vishwanath; 28, Nimalan and Ravi Chandaran were represented by Rajehgopal, while Dr Kunaseegaran, 55, was represented by lawyer Datuk N.Sivananthan. — Bernama