A chemist from the Perak Chemistry Department, Khairul Anuar Abdul Aziz, said this was based on the trail of petrol found inside and outside of the vehicle.
“Based on inspection and analysis, I think that the car was torched on purposes using petrol as the fire accelerant.
“If the car had caught fire due to an accident, the trail of petrol cannot possibly be found in the cabin area of the car,” he said during the examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin on the eighth day of Kevin Morais murder trial.
He said the evidence on the trail of petrol was obtained from the sample which he personally took from the left and right side of the rear passenger seat, as well as from both the driver and the front passenger’s foot areas.
Khairul Anuar, who has 22 years’ experience as a chemist, said the car was 100% burnt when he saw it the first time at the Hutan Melintang police station on Sept 7, 2015.
“On first observation, the type of the car could not be ascertained, but following further inspection, I found out that it was a Proton Perdana car.”
While admitting that the chassis and engine numbers were unique for each vehicle, the 13th prosecution witness said there was a hole on the back panel of the engine area where the chassis number was usually stamped.
“I found that the hole was formed by cutting and removing the panel. The size of the cut area was about 15cm x 5cm.
“Therefore, I could not carry out further examination on the chassis number,” he said, adding that there were also deep scratch marks on the engine number, causing it to be very difficult to read.
However, he said the engine number was written in two-line format.
“On the first line, the final digit is only half visible, it’s either number three or eight, while on the second line, the final digit was number five.
“After the electrochemical process, I did not find any new alphabet or number around the engine number area,” he said.
Meanwhile, investigating officer Insp Mohd Nizam Ahmad told the court he went to the scene, which was in a oil palm plantation in Kampung Sungai Samak, Hutan Melintang, at 12.50pm on Sept 5, 2015, after being informed about a car on fire.
The 14th prosecution witness said he saw the burning car after entering the plantation, about 2km from the Sabak Bernam-Hutan Melintang main road.
During cross-examination by counsel V. Rajehgopal, the witness said the report on the burning car was made through the phone by a civilian staying nearby.
Six men – G. Gunasekaran, 48, R. Dinishwaran, 24, A. K. Thinesh Kumar, 23, M. Vishwanath, 26, S. Nimalan, 23, and S. Ravi Chandaran, 45 – claimed trial to the charge of murdering Morais between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No 1, Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.
The first accused, Col Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, pleaded not guilty to abetting the six men in Morais’ murder at the same place, date and time.
The trial before Justice Azman Abdullah continues tomorrow.
– BERNAMA