The men charged with murdering DPP Kevin Morais are led by policemen outside the Duta Court Complex in Kuala Lumpur, September 28, 2015. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran caused Kevin Morais’ disappearance, the High Court was told today.

S. Ravi Chandaran, 47, who is the seventh accused in the deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais’ murder trial, said that during the examination-in-chief by lawyer V. Rajehgopal on the 19th day of the defence proceedings.

He said the former second accused known as “Jay” or his real name, G. Gunasekaran, 49, told him so before he was taken to see the military doctor on September 9, 2015.

“Jay told me that Kevin Morais went missing because of the doctor. The doctor caused Kevin Morais’ disappearance,” he said.

Elaborating, the sixth defence witness said that on Sept 9, five days after Kevin Morais was reported missing, Jay had taken him to meet with Dr Kunaseegaran at a temple in Bukit Raja, here.

However, since the moment they arrived and throughout the time they were at the temple, Jay stayed inside the car while he went in to see Dr Kunaseegaran.

Ravi Chandaran said before he and Dr Kunaseegaran began their conversation, he was asked to swear that he would not tell anyone about what the doctor was about to tell him.

The accused said he complied with the request and swore that he would not tell anyone, which prompted Dr Kunaseegaran to tell him a lot of information related to Kevin Morais.

Without telling the court the information he had on Kevin Morais, Ravi Chandaran said he then told Dr Kunaseegaran that he wanted to lodge a police report on the matter.

“I told him I had no choice, I wanted to make a police report, and he (Dr Kunaseegaran) told me that if I lodge the report, I would be the one who would get busted. Then, he said the problem can be solved,” the accused said.

Ravi Chandaran said when he asked what would happen and what should he do if he got arrested, Dr Kunaseegaran assured him that he would help pay for legal costs and any other costs involved.

Ravi Chandaran said all the conversations took place in the temple and that he was very nervous.

When Rajehgopal asked why he was nervous, the accused said it was “because I knew then the reason why Jay told me to erase the chassis number (of Kevin Morais’ car), I knew that Dr Kunaseegaran was involved,” he said.

R. Dinishwaran, AK Thinesh Kumar, M. Vishwanath, S.Nimalan, Ravi Chandaran and Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 55, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Kevin Morais, 55, between 7am and 8pm on September 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.

The prosecution team was led by deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on August 17. — Bernama