Accused tells court his car crashed into Kevin Morais' because the DPP suddenly stopped his car

KUALA LUMPUR: The sixth accused in the murder trial of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais told the High Court here today that the accident involving a four-wheel-drive that he was driving and Kevin Morais' car on Sept 4, 2015 occurred because the victim suddenly stopped his car.
S. Nimalan, 25, said he was then on the phone talking to G. Gunasekaran , or Jay, (the second accused who was later acquitted), who was at the wheel of a Proton Perdana V6 after they became separated when their vehicles went separate ways at a traffic light intersection.
He said also in the Proton Perdana V6 with Gunasekaran was seventh accused, S. Ravi Chandaran.
"I telephoned Ravi, (but) Jay answered the call. I asked where they were because I did not see their car behind mine, at that time a car in front of mine, put on the brake, and I crashed into into its rear," he said during examination-in-chief by lawyer V. Rajehgopal.
Nimalan, who is the fifth defence witness, said after the crash, he and Kevin Morais ,who was also driving a Proton Perdana V6 drove their vehicles to the side of the road and then alighted from their vehicles and met behind Kevin Morais' car.
"It was then that Jay arrived. Jay shook hands with the car driver (Kevin Morais). I thought they knew each other," he said.
Nimalan said Jay then asked what happened and when he said he rammed into Kevin Morais' car, Jay said he knew the man and that he would discuss the matter with him (Kevin Morais).
Soon after, Nimalan said his uncle, Ravi Chandaran, came and told him to get back into the car.
Earlier, Nimalan told the court that the crash occurred at Jalan Dutamas here, after his second trip to the Menara Duta Condominium, where Kevin Morais was staying.
He said he had been there the previous day, also in the Mitsubishi Triton, with him at the wheel, and the three other accused – R. Dinishwaran, A. K. Thinesh Kumar and M. Vishwanath, as passengers.
Nimalan said he was following a car which Jay was driving and also in the car was his uncle.
"Jay went to the same condominium. I and Jay then alighted from our vehicles and I asked him why we came to the same place and who did he want to see.
"Jay said no and asked me to get back in the car and told me to me to leave (the place) after he sounded the car horn," he said.
After a while, Nimalan said he heard the car horn and left the condominium, with Jay trailing behind in his car until at a traffic light junction, which was about 500m from the condominium, when they went separate ways.
Dinishwaran, 26; Thinesh Kumar, 25; Vishwanath; 28, Nimalan, 25, Ravi Chandaran, 47, and army doctor Dr 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.
Kevin Morais' body was found in a concrete-filled drum in Persiaran Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya near here on Sept 16, 2015, after he was reported missing on Sept 4, 2015.
Dinishwaran, 26, Thinesh Kumar, 25, Vishwanath; 28, Nimalan and Ravi Chandaran, 47, were represented by V. Rajehgopal, while Kunaseegaran 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 May 17. — Bernama