Wansley: Questioned
sugar mill's accounts |
The Criminal Court yesterday acquitted the accused gunman in the high-profile murder of Australian auditor Michael Wansley in Nakhon Sawan province nine years ago, after giving him the benefit of the doubt. On Aug 7, 2003, the Nakhon Sawan prosecution team and Adam Wansley, the dead man's son, accused Pichet Kaewsamduang, alias Sor Thaksin, of shooting dead Wansley, a 58-year-old auditor, on March 10, 1999. Wansley was also known as Michael Irwin and Irwin Wansley.
The murder took place while Wansley, head auditor of South Sathon Planner Co, and his group were travelling in a van to Kaset Thai Sugar Co in Nakhon Sawan. He asked to meet the management of the debt-ridden sugar mill after he discovered alleged financial irregularities in the organisation.
Somchai Jaihao, the motorcyclist who drove the gunman, and Chalong Pinphong, a staff member of the sugar mill, identified Pichet as the gunman.
However, the court did not believe them as they were both accomplices.
Somchai had been found guilty of playing a role in the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, while Chalong gave evidence as a witness.
Meanwhile, the plaintiffs could not produce a single eyewitness who actually saw the face of the gunman. Although their witnesses were in the same van when the murder took place, the witnesses saw only the gunman's back.
Also, the plaintiffs' witnesses told the court that the murder occurred about noon, but Chalong told the court that Somchai had returned the getaway motorcycle to him about 10am.
The conflicting accounts made the court doubt that Pichet was involved in the murder.
Citing Article 227 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the court gave Pichet the benefit of the doubt and acquitted him of the murder charge and a weapons possession charge.
However, the court detained him pending an appeal.
About 20 of Pichet's relatives showed up at court yesterday.
They were delighted with the verdict.
Wansley's relatives were not present.
In September 2006, the Criminal Court sentenced Kaset Thai Sugar executive Boonphan Sutheevirawan to life imprisonment, and sentenced to death Somchoke Sutheevirawan, Boonphan's younger brother, and Sompong Buasakul for premeditated murder in connection with Wansley's death.
Another defendant Pradit Siriviriyakul, director of the sugar mill company, was acquitted.
The banks that acted as creditors of Kaset Thai Sugar Co hired the Australian auditor to deal with the company's 16-billion-baht debt.
He was one of the foreigners involved in restructuring the debts of Thai businesses hit by the 1997 economic crash.
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