Three receive death penalty for Prajob hit

Three receive death penalty for Prajob hit

The Chachoengsao Provincial Court Wednesday handed out death sentences to three men who colluded to murder environmental activist Prajob Naowa-opas.

The activist had been opposing a toxic waste dump site in his home town in Chachoengsao's Phanom Sarakham district.

The condemned men are Phuthorn Kaweepun, 43, a C8 government officer for the Department of Industrial Works and two military officers — Sgt Yutthanai Nachaeng, 32, and Sgt Anu Boonpeng, 29. Phuthorn was said to have masterminded the crime.

They were taken before judges yesterday to hear their fate. About 20 villagers attended the court to hear the verdict while about 80 other villagers waited outside the building.

Prajob was shot dead in Feb 2013 while he was at a garage in Chachoengsao town waiting for his pickup truck to be fixed, the court said.

Police later found four spent .45 bullet shells at the scene.

Shortly after police launched their investigation they obtained cell-phone records that showed the convicted men had called one another on the day Prajob was killed.

Phuthorn, Sgt Yutthanai and Sgt Anu were arrested on Apr 13, 2013.

The court said Sgt Anu admitted to police that he was one of the gunmen who shot Prajob. The other two denied any involvement. They maintained their innocence and claimed they had never colluded in the crime.

Phuthorn was also on the committee of Fusion Development Co Ltd, which operated a recycling and industrial waste management factory in Phanom Sarakham district.

Prajob lodged a complaint with police in 2010, saying the company had illegally dumped waste water in a public area, leading to the temporary closure of the factory. He was later sued by the firm for libel. However, the court dismissed the case.

In reading the verdict, the court said the police investigation found evidence to link Phuthorn and Sgt Yutthanai to the murder, including CCTV footage and mobile phone records.

Sgt Yutthanai and Sgt Anu were found to have called each other in Phanom Sarakham district a couple of times before the murder.

The records also show Phuthorn and Sgt Yutthanai called each other prior to the murder from the same places, including Surat Thani, Bangkok and Chachoengsao's Phanom Sarakham district. This proved they knew each other and had met before, the court said.

Phuthorn's brother hired Sgt Yutthanai and Sgt Anu to kill Prajob for a million baht. The brother died just before the murder took place, but the murder went ahead, which the court said implied Phuthorn was the real mastermind.

Phuthorn was convicted of premeditated murder and inciting another person to commit an offence. Sgt Yutthanai and Sgt Anu were convicted of premeditated murder and carrying firearms in public places.

Since both military officers gave useful statements, their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, the court said. The three defendants can appeal.

Prajob's brother Jorn Naowa-opas, 47, said he and villagers were satisfied with the verdict.

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