KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Kevin Morais (pic) was already dead before he was placed in an oil drum, in which his corpse was found, in Subang Jaya last year, a forensics expert told the High Court.
Nurliza Abdullah, 51, said she based her opinion on the lack of signs of struggle plus the abnormal state the body was found in.
"The body was in a foetal-like posture, where the knees and the hip joint were bent and the arms were tied behind the back with a neck tie," she said, adding that the body was fully clothed but without shoes.
Nurliza was testifying in the trial of six men charged with the murder of Kevin, former deputy public prosecutor with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission.
On Jan 27, G. Gunasekaran, 48; R. Dinishwaran, 24; A. K. Thinesh Kumar, 23; M. Vishwanath, 26; Nimalan, 23; and Ravi Chandaran, 35, claimed trial to the charges.
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 Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, pleaded not guilty to abetting the six in the murder.
During the examination in chief, DPP Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin asked Nurliza the cause of Kevin's death.
Nurliza said there was a high probability that death was caused by suffocation due to external factors hindering the deceased from breathing.
She ruled out death by drowning, saying that in such cases there would be water or foreign objects in the lungs and water in the stomach caused by the swallowing of water.
It was reported that Kevin's remains were found in a cemented oil drum which was dumped in a swampy pool, at Persiaran Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya, on Sept 16 last year.
Nurliza said she visited the crime scene and when the drum was opened she saw a plastic sack inside.
"The sack was not opened on site, however it had a tear where I could see a decomposed human face inside," she said.
During inspection of the remains at the forensic laboratory, Nurliza recorded that the body was about 162cm tall, weighed 43kg and the skin was peeling and fat was breaking down due to the decomposition.
The trial before Justice Azman Abdullah continues Wednesday.
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