A Spanish man charged with murder of his fellow compatriot said he did not know the victim when he appeared in the Criminal Court for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
A smiling Artur Segarra Princep was taken from Bangkok Remand Prison to the court to examine lists of documentary evidence and witnesses in the murder case of David Bernat, 40.
Prosecutors have indicted the 37-year-old on charges of premeditated murder, kidnapping, concealing the body, torture and theft for coercing Bernat into reveal an ATM pin number and butchering him in his room at the PG Rama IX condominium in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district in January.
After details of the indictments were read out, Mr Segarra denied the charges against him. He admitted to staying at the PG Rama IX condominium, the alleged crime scene, but said he had not known Bernat.
The court then approved the prosecution’s request to call in 95 witnesses to testify and the defendant's plea to present a witness.
The court will hear statements from the prosecution witnesses at 25 sessions while a session is given to the defendant witness.
It set July 25 for the second examination of evidence and witnesses.
According to the lawsuit, Mr Segarra allegedly stole 734,940 baht from Bernat, a highly-paid adviser to a foreign firm. He used an angle grinder to dismember Bernat’s frozen corpse and dumped the body parts in black plastic bags at several locations along the Chao Phraya River.
The Spaniard had pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on May 4.