KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Lawyer Ravi Nekoo, who is representing two lawyer brothers detained in connection with the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others, is still in the dark over the fate of his clients.
He is unsure when, or if, the two clients, and six other people -- linked to the four murders -- would be charged in court.
"My clients' remand orders will expire on Saturday. I have a hunch they may (either) be charged on Friday, or the police may decide to produce them before a magistrate to extend the remand," Ravi told Bernama on Tuesday.
He said since his clients, aged 38 and 41, are currently held under custody of the Selangor police contingent, he would write to acting Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Omar Mammah to enable him (Nekoo) and another counsel to have access to the suspects.
"So far, only once, the police had granted us access to our clients, and also to their wives...but we want to meet them without the presence of police officers," he added.
Ravi pointed out that the law was very clear on the issue, as under Section 28A(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), it allowed counsel to have access within sight of police officers, but not hearing.
"In other words, they (police) can witness when we are talking to our clients but they can't follow the conversation.
"We need complete privacy in this matter, which was denied during the first visit," he disclosed.
He said the police were relying on Section 28A(8) of the CPC by saying that the defence counsels might tamper with evidence, or fear the suspects might abscond.
Sosilawati, 47, her driver, Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, went missing on Aug 30, after they had gone to Banting, Selangor over a land deal.
On Sept 12, police confirmed that the four were killed, their bodies burnt and the ashes strewn in rivers near Ladang Gadong, Tanjung Sepat near Banting.
"They already had more than 14 days in gathering evidence from the suspects...now, let us have access to our clients," said Ravi, who also asked the police to allow the six other suspects in the case to have access to counsel.
Currently, he said, only his wife, Pushpa Ratnam, and he were in the defence team while another lawyer, D. P. Vijandran, had not decided whether to be involved in the team.
