The Criminal Court has acquitted a fried chicken vendor who had spent 200 days in detention after being wrongfully accused of stealing diamond jewellery worth about 15 million baht.
Deputy permanent secretary for justice Dusadee Arayawuth said the court on Tuesday dismissed the case against Phisit Suwanpim, who had been held without bail for a crime he did not commit.
The court ruled that the owner of the jewellery failed to give clear a description of the thief and the description given did not match the defendant.
The defendant also had a witness confirming he was in Nakhon Phanom at the time of the theft.
The court issued an order to release Mr Phisit from Thon Buri Special Prison at 4pm Tuesday.
Pol Col Dusadee said that Mr Phisit will receive compensation for 200 days in detention (500 baht per day) or about 100,000 baht in total from the Justice Fund.
However, Pol Col Dusadee said, the compensation could not compare to the wrongful imprisonment Mr Phisit had to endure for almost a year, not to mention the loss of income and lost opportunities.
Pol Col Dusasee said the police investigation was flawed and incomplete and the real culprit could not be brought to justice. It was up to Mr Phisit to decide whether to sue the police for damages, Pol Col Dusadee said. The Justice Ministry had only helped ascertain the facts for the court to review the case.
On Feb 16 this year, police went to Nakhon Phanom and arrested Mr Phisit on a charge of stealing jewellery worth about 15 million baht.
According to police, the Bangkok-based owner of the jewellery filed a complaint accusing Mr Phisit of stealing the jewellery on Dec 28, 2016.
In May this year Mr Phisit's wife, Dareewan Phorwong, asked the Justice Ministry for help and the ministry sent officials to reinvestigate the matter.
Ms Dareewan said there was proof that her husband received medical treatment at a clinic in Nakhon Phanom one hour before the alleged theft occurred.
Mr Phisit was denied bail after his arrest due to the high value of the jewels he allegedly stole.