'Men in black' denied bail again

'Men in black' denied bail again

The Criminal Court has again rejected bail for the four male "men in black" suspects linked to the violence that led to the killing of soldiers near Democracy Monument in April 2010.

Dressed in black for the occasion by the police and presented at a news conference, the four men arrested in September are accused of being responsible for murderous violence during the 2010 disturbances in Bangkok. A woman identified as Punika Chusri (right) was also arrested and charged but she never has been paraded in public. (File photos)

Winyat Chartmontree, a lawyer for the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), filed the request with the court on Friday morning and put up land title deeds worth 500,000 baht as surety for each defendant.

The court in the evening dismissed the request, saying the defendants were accused of being involved in violent political rallies and use of lethal weapons against security officers. The charges levelled by prosecutors carry serious and heavy penalties, and temporary release could not be granted, it said.

The four — Kittisak Soomsri, 45; Chamnan Phakeechai, 45; Preecha Yuyen, 24; and Ronnarit Suricha, 33 — have been charged with illegally carrying and using guns, bullets and bombs. They were arrested in early September and have been detained at Bangkok Remand Prison since then after the court rejected their previous bail request.

All the defendants denied the charges and said they would fight the case in court. The court has set Feb 16 as the date for the first examination of evidence in the case.

Five soldiers were killed by mysterious "men in black" in a clash on April 10, 2010 as they moved to clear protest sites at the Khok Wua intersection, Tanao Road and areas around Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok occupied by red-shirted UDD supporters. Among the dead was a senior army officer, Col Romklao Thuwatham. He was posthumously promoted to general.

The clash at the Khok Wua intersection claimed the lives of 21 others in all, including one Reuters journalist.

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