KUALA LUMPUR: The second accused in the murder case of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment yesterday for causing disappearance of evidence.
Sessions Court judge Azian Othman imposed the punishment on unemployed G Gunasekaran, 48, after he changed his plea to guilty at the murder trial which entered its 36th day today.
The court ordered the sentence to run from the date of his arrest on Sept 15, 2015.
Gunasekaran was charged jointly with S Ravi Chandaran, 45, and S Nimalan, 23, with concealing Kevin Morais’ body and disposing of the plate number of the deceased’s car, WA 6264Q.
He admitted committing the offence at Jalan Dutamas 1 here and the oil palm estate at Kampong Sungai Samak, Hutan Melintang, Hilir Perak, Perak, between 7am on Sept 4, 2015 and 2am on Sept 5, 2015.
The charge under Section 201 of the Penal Code carries a maximum seven years’ jail and a fine on conviction.
Gunasekaran also admitted committing the act to protect six other accused in the case, Ravi Chandaran, Nimalan, A K Thinesh Kumar, 26, M Vishwanath, 26, R Dinishwaran, 24, and pathologist Col Dr K Kunaseegaran, 53, from prosecution.
Based on the facts of the case, he had known Ravi Chandaran (seventh accused) for 20 years and it was the latter who introduced him to Dr Kunaseegaran.
He became close friends with Dr Kunaseegaran to an extent that the latter could confide to him about a charge he (Dr Kunaseegaran) was facing which Kevin Morais was handling.
Dr Kunaseegaran told him that Kevin Morais’ action to impose an additional charge on him had inconvenienced and necessitated him to fork out a lot of money for legal fees.
On Sept 3, 2015, Ravi Chandaran asked Gunasekaran to come to Restoran Syed Bistro in Petaling Jaya to meet four men (four other accused in the murder case).
On Sept 4, 2015, Ravi Chandaran told Gunasekaran that he had to collect money from Kevin Morais and that they must catch the latter before he reaches his office. Ravi Chandaran did not have a car and Gunasekaran agreed to drive him.
They tailed Kevin Morais’ Proton Perdana and when the victim stopped at a road shoulder, Ravi Chandaran alighted from the vehicle while Gunasekaran continued the journey to the restaurant.
On the same day, Gunasekaran was asked to buy a drum and carry cement to fill up the drum. He saw a sack inside the drum that contained Kevin Morais’ body.
He told Dr Kunaseegaran that something was not right but the latter did not appear to be shocked and only smiled, telling him to stay calm and to “stay out of it”.
Earlier in mitigation, Gunasekaran’s counsel S Ramesh asked the court to “take into consideration the role of the accused”, who is a father of one.
Ramesh said the accused, who has a degree in mechanical engineering did not kill Kevin Morais but was involved in disposing of the body after he had died.
“The accused did not know Kevin Morais personally and he was never near him when he met his fate, never had any intention to kill him,” submitted counsel.
The lawyer also said the accused who had been remanded since Sept 15 last year, was remorseful of his action and sought forgiveness from Kevin Morais’ family and the Malaysian people who were “shocked, angry and saddened by Kevin Morais’ death”.
However, deputy public prosecutor Saiful Hazmi Mohd Saad urged the court to impose a punishment that would serve as a lesson to the accused for his role.
“This is a tragic case for Kevin Morais who was merely carrying out his duty. He was a committed legal officer. I urge the court to impose a deterrent sentence in the interest of the public,” he submitted.
Gunasekaran and five other men, Dinishwaran, Thinesh Kumar, Vishwanath, Nimalan, and Ravi Chandaran, stand accused of murdering Kevin Morais between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No.1 Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.
Dr Kunaseegaran, the first accused allegedly abetted the six men in murdering Kevin Morais at the same place, date and time. — Bernama