8 men, including army doctor, charged over murder of Malaysian prosecutor Kevin Morais

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Several of the men accused of the murder of Malaysian prosecutor Kevin Morais standing outside the courtroom on Sept 28, 2015. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Malaysian deputy public prosecutor Kevin Anthony Morais was allegedly murdered after human remains were found in a concrete-filled drum in USJ1, Subang Jaya, in Kuala Lumpur, on Sept 15, 2015. PHOTO: BHM

KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Eight men, including an army doctor, have been charged over the murder of Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Anthony Kevin Morais.

G. Gunasegaran, 47; R. Dineshwaran, 23; Thinesh Kumar, 22; M. Viswanath, 25; S. Nirmalan, 22, and S. Ravi Chandran, 44, allegedly committed the offence between 7am and 9pm on their way from Dutamas, Sentul to USJ1 Subang Jaya on Sept 4.

All six were charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code at the magistrate's court here on Monday.

Army pathologist R. Kunaseegaran, 48, was charged with abetting the murder under Section 109 of the Penal Code in the same court.

Besides the army doctor with the rank of colonel, the others are mechanics, security guards and two jobless men.

The suspects were arrested in the Klang Valley, Penang and Kedah over the past few weeks.

The seven suspects face the death penalty if convicted.

Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamardin fixed Nov 30 for mention pending the post-mortem and chemist reports.

The prosecution team was led by DPP Datuk Abdul Razak, Manoj Kurup and Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.

Defence counsel M. Manoharan represented Dineshwaran, while Dato N. Sivananthan and Dato Geethan Ram Vincent appeared for Dr Kunaseegaran.

The other five accused were unrepresented.

Three of the remanded are expected to be released today with conditions.

Police sources said the pathologist and a mechanic would be charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code with abetting the murder of Morais.

The doctor would be brought before a Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court while the mechanic would be charged in a Petaling Jaya magistrate's court.

Also present at the court were Mr Morais brothers Charles Suresh Morais and Richard Dilaan Morais.

In Petaling Jaya, a mechanic has been charged with abetting Mr Morais' murder at the magistrate's court here.

A. Murugan Arujalan, who was clad in a grey short sleeved shirt, was driven straight to the court's underground lock-up at 9.53am and covered his face while he was guided through the entrance.

The 44-year-old man appeared in the court room at 11.30am looking tired and dishevelled. Murugan kept his gaze locked upfront, not looking at the crowded dock.

Proceedings began at 11.35am. Murugan was asked if he understood the charge, and he nodded. No plea was recorded.

Magistrate Ahmad Solihin Abd Wahid set the next mention date on Nov 26 pending the post-mortem and chemist reports.

DPP Ishak Mohd Yusoff said the two reports should be ready in about two weeks.

It is learnt that police have completed the investigations and identified the mastermind behind the murder and also the motive for it.

"The remand orders of most of the suspects, including the doctor, will expire on Tuesday (tomorrow)," said a source familiar with the case.

Mr Morais, who was described by his friends as kind, humble, dedicated and committed to his job, went missing on Sept 4 after leaving his residence in Menara Duta for work in Putrajaya in a grey Proton Perdana.

He was abducted by several men following a fender bender along Jalan Dutamas during morning rush-hour traffic.

A DNA test performed on the body found in a cemented oil drum on Sept 16 matched that of Morais.

The oil drum was dumped at a swamp in Subang Jaya.

One of the suspects arrested led police to the location of the oil drum.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director of legal and prosecution division Datuk Umar Saifuddin Jaafar has said that Mr Morais, who was seconded to the MACC for 10 years, handled many high-profile cases.

The doctor was charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court with two counts of bribery involving RM700,000 in September 2013.

He was accused of having recommended three companies to supply medicines and disposable medical tools to an army hospital.

In December the same year, he was charged in another Sessions Court with engaging in unlawful trade while being a government servant.

Mr Morais was among three deputy public prosecutors involved in prosecuting the cases.

The doctor also has a corruption case that has been adjourned to January next year.

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