Court sets June 11, 12 for closing submission by defence in Kevin Morais case

The High Court here today set June 11 and 12 for the closing submission by the defence in the murder trial of deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais, whose body was found in a barrel filled with concrete five years ago.

Judge Azman Abdullah, set the dates after lawyer Sheelan Arjunan, representing five of the six accused in the case, informed the court that he would meet his clients today to inform them on the contents of his submission before submitting it to the court this Friday.

Sheelan, representing R Dinishwaran, A K Thinesh Kumar, M Vishwanath, S Nimalan and S Ravi Chandaran, had told the court last May 14 that he had yet to file the submission because he had to refer it to his clients first.

He said that due to the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) he had problems going to meet them who are at the Sungai Buloh Prison.

Following which, Azman ordered the accused to be brought to the court today and requested the police to give time for the counsel to see his clients.

However, he cautioned the lawyer on the need to observe social distancing so as not to create a new Covid-19 cluster.

Another accused in the case, pathologist Colonel Dr R Kunaseegaran, is represented by lawyer N Sivananthan.

On Nov 20, 2017, Azman ordered the six accused to enter their defence to a charge of murdering Morais after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against them.

All of them were accused of murdering Morais somewhere along Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No 1, Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, at between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, and face the mandatory death sentence if convicted.

Kunaseegaran was initially charged with abetting the five men in committing the offence at the same place, date and time, but on May 15, 2017, the charge was amended to having a common intention with the five men in the murder of Morais.

- Bernama