SHAH ALAM, 8 FEBRUARY, 2012: The High Court hearing the murder case of cosmetic millionairess Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others was today told that former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, the first accused, had issued two Hong Leong Bank cheques for RM4 million for payment to a company owned by the businesswoman.

   
Banting branch Hong Leong Bank operations manager, Yvonne Tiong Guat Choo, 39, said the two cheques, dated Sept 9, 2010, were issued from Pathmanabhan's personal account and the payment was made to Southern Symphony Sdn Bhd, which was owned by the cosmetic millionaires.
    
"Referring to the account statement issued by Hong Leong Bank to Pathmanabhan, both the cheques were not cashed until Sept 15, 2010," he said during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Idham Abd.Ghani.
    
Tiong was testifying in the 66th day trial of Pathmanabhan and three farm workers, T. Thilaiyalagan, R. Matan and R. Khatavarayan, who are charged with murdering Sosilawati, 47, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and Sosilawati's driver, Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.
    
Pathmanabhan, 42, Thilaiyalagan, 20, Matan, 21, and Kathavarayan, 31, are charged with committing the offence at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang, Tanjung Sepat in Banting between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30, 2010.
    
There are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
    
Earlier, Tiong said Pathmanabhan opened a personal account with the bank on June 25, 1999, and a company account, using the name Pathmanabhan Nalli & Partners, on April 22, 2000.
    
Questioned by Idham on the balance in Pathmanabhan's personal account statement as of Aug 30, 2010, Tiong said it was RM1,383,943.85, while the balance in the company's account was RM106,369.73.
    
The 98th witness also said that based on Pathmanabhan's personal account statement, there were four withdrawals, through four cheques totaling RM1,010,000 on Aug 30, 2010, two withdrawals through two cheques for RM800,000 on Sept 1, 2010, and two withdrawals through two cheques for RM500,000 on Sept 3, 2010.
    
On the entries made into Pathmanabhan's account, she said the statement showed that RM800,000 was deposited on Aug 25, 2010 and two transactions, involving cash of RM1.6 million, was deposited into the same account on Aug 26, 2010.
    
Meanwhile, investigating officer ASP Mohd Ishak Yaakob, 36, said interrogation officer Chief Inspector N. Govindan (32nd prosecution witness) contacted him on Sept 12, 2010, to inform that the suspects, Thilaiyalagan, Matan and Kathavarayan (the second, third and fourth accused) were willing to show several locations involved in the case.
    
He said that when they were at Ladang Gadong in Banting, he saw Kathavarayan showing a vacant space with burning marks and when they were on the Sungai Panchau bridge, saw Kathavarayan pointing towards the river.
    
The hearing before Justice Datuk Akhtar Tahir continues tomorrow.
    

- Bernama