The seventh accused in the murder of deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the lawyer of army colonel Dr R Kunaseegaran asked him to plead guilty to the charge.

S Ravi Chandaran said the lawyer, N Sivananthan, also promised to defend and free him of the charge at the Court of Appeal if he were to do so.

“Sivananthan asked me to plead guilty (to the charge) under Section 302 of the Penal Code. (After that) he will defend and get me out of prison,” he said when cross-examined by lawyer Jasmine Cheong Chi May, also representing Kunaseegaran in the defence trial, which is now in its 23rd day.

When asked whether he knew that someone charged under Section 302 is not allowed to plead guilty, Ravi Chandaran said he did not.

Ravi Chandaran had previously told the court that he was offered RM1.5 million by Kunaseegaran to plead guilty to the murder.

He had also said that the Kunaseegaran would appoint another lawyer to represent him during his appeal at the appellate court.

Kunaseegaran, Ravi Chandaran, R Dinishwaran, AK Thinesh Kumar, M Vishwanath and S Nimalan had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kevin Morais during the victim's journey from Sentul to Subang Jaya on Sept 4, 2015.

All are charged under Section 302 read together with Section 34 which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Dinishwaran, Thinesh Kumar, Vishwanath, Nimalan and Ravi Chandaran are represented by V Rajehgopal.

The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin.

The hearing before Judge Azman Abdullah continues tomorrow.

- Bernama