Morais’ death may have been suicide, says defence

KUALA LUMPUR: The defence lawyer in the murder trial of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais suggested that he may have killed himself, as the autopsy could not confirm why he died of asphyxia.

Going over testimony by forensic expert Nurliza Abdullah that Morais had likely been smothered with a plastic bag, counsel Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent questioned if it was possible that the death was due to “plastic bag asphyxia suicide”.

Nurliza replied that in her career of over 4,500 cases, she had only seen two cases of plastic bag asphyxia, neither of which was suicide.

On Wednesday, she said two scenarios – smothering with a plastic bag and compression to the deceased’s chest and rib cage – could have cumulatively led to Morais’ death.

However, Geethan Ram proposed an alternate cause – vagal inhibition, a condition that causes sudden death due to minor trauma, especially pressure on the neck.

On Jan 27, six men – G. Gunasekaran, 48; R. Dinishwaran, 24; A.K. Thinesh Kumar, 23; M. Vishwanath, 26; Nimalan, 23; and Ravi Chandaran, 35 – claimed trial to charges of murdering Morais.

They are accused of committing the offence between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No. 1, Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.

Army pathologist Kol Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, pleaded not guilty to abetting the six in the murder.

The trial before Justice Azman Abdullah continues today.