Justice Azman Abdullah adjourned the trial to tomorrow (Jan 19) after granting counsel Chua Li Li and M Manoharan’s applications to withdraw from representing R Dinishwaran, 26, and A K Thinesh Kumar, 25, and to enable the two accused to engage new lawyers.

Earlier, Li Li told the court that she and Manoharan, who was not present, did not receive further instructions from the two accused, who are accused of murdering deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais with four others to represent them.

Deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin did not object to the lawyers’ applications.

Meanwhile, counsel N Sivananthan is representing Dr R Kunaseegaran, 55; while V Rajehgopal is counsel for M Vishwanath, 28; S Nimalan, 25; and S Ravi Chandaran, 47.

On Nov 20 last year, the High Court ordered the six to enter their defence after ruling that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against them.

Kunaseegaran, Dinishwaran, Thinesh Kumar, Vishwanath, Nimalan and Ravi Chandaran are accused of committing the offence along the stretch from Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul to No 1 Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction.

On Sept 16, 2015, Kevin Morais’ body was recovered in a drum filled with concrete, in Persiaran Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya near here.

The DPP, 55, was reported missing on Sept 4, 2015 and was last seen leaving his apartment at Menara Duta here and getting into a Proton Perdana with registration number WA6264Q.