Panel to revisit murder case

Suicide of victim's dad prompts move

Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Charnthep Sesawech ordered a new panel to investigate possible new evidence in the murder case.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Charnthep Sesawech ordered a new panel to investigate possible new evidence in the murder case.

Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) chief Charnthep Sesawech has ordered the formation of a panel to revisit a case in which a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death two years ago.

The panel was ordered after the man's father plunged to his death on Monday following the lower court's ruling to dismiss the murder case.

MPB deputy chief Sompong Shingduang said on Thursday that he'd been ordered by Pol Lt Gen Charnthep to establish a committee to probe the case. He said officers will examine whether the past investigation had flaws and the court's ruling was being copied for deliberation. However, he conceded it would be difficult to revive the case if no new evidence is found.

The case has been through the Court of the First Instance's deliberation and there are still Appeal and Supreme Courts to pursue, Pol Maj Gen Sompong said.

Thanit Thalahasunthon was stabbed to death during the Songkran festival on April 15, 2016. The Criminal Court on Monday dismissed a criminal suit filed against Nattapong Ngenkiri, 19.

Following the ruling, Thanit's father, Supachai Thalahasunthon, who was a co-plaintiff in the case, jumped to his death from the 8th floor of the Criminal Court building.

Responding to reports that the acquitted suspect may have been assisted by police as he allegedly knows influential figures, Pol Maj Gen Sompong said an investigation is underway to determine whether such allegations carry weight.

As for complaints raised by Supachai's relatives that the man was told by investigators to look for evidence in the case by himself, Pol Maj Gen Sompong said he was not aware of that information and the investigation will be carried out to ascertain whether the officers involved had misbehaved.

He insisted he does not feel pressure to revisit the case since it depends on the evidence. If evidence cannot be used or none is found, it would be impossible for officers to fabricate it. If it is found that evidence already existed but officers failed to use it, they could face charges for negligence of duty, he said.

The team of investigators previously probing the case has been called to meet the MPB chief for questioning, though the time schedule has yet to be settled, Pol Maj Gen Sompong added.

Pol Lt Gen Charnthep said the widow of Supachai, Rewadee, had submitted all documents related to the case compiled by her late husband to officers, who will restart compiling evidence which can be used during the hearing in the Appeal Court.

The officers will also look into prosecutors' instructions given to police to determine which evidence should be sought, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Prajin Juntong said relevant agencies would be asked to attend a meeting either on July 31 or Aug 1 to discuss the case.

Learn from listening

Click play to listen to audio for this story, or download to save the file
: :

Vocabulary

  • acquit: to state officially that someone is not guilty of the crime they were accused of - ตัดสินให้พ้นโทษ
  • ascertain: to discover; to make certain - สืบให้แน่ใจ
  • compile: to collect information from different places and arrange it in a book, report or list - รวบรวม
  • concede: to admit that something is true - ยอมรับว่าถูก
  • deliberation: considering or discussing something - การปรึกษาหารือ
  • determine: to officially find out or decide something - ตัดสินใจ  ชี้ขาด
  • dismiss a case: (of a court of law) to decide that the charges made against a person or organisation are not correct or proper procedures have not been followed and the case should not be taken to court - ยกฟ้อง
  • fabricate: to invent or produce something false in order to deceive - สร้างข้อมูลหรือเรื่องราวที่ไม่เป็นความจริง
  • file charges: to accuse someone officially of committing a crime - ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา, ฟ้อง
  • flaw: a fault; something wrong with something - ข้อบกพร่อง
  • hearing (noun): an official meeting at which the facts about a crime, complaint, etc. are presented to the person or group of people who will have to decide what action to take - การพิจารณา
  • influential figure: a person who has the power to affect a situation, especially in a bad way - ผู้มีอิทธิพล
  • negligence: when you do not give enough care or attention to someone or something - ความประมาท, ความไม่เอาใจใส่
  • panel: a group of people who make decisions or judgments - คณะกรรมการ
  • plaintiff: someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in court (a co-plaintiff joins with another to make the complaint) - โจทก์
  • plunge: to fall quickly from a high position - ดิ่งลงมาจากท้องฟ้า
  • probe: to investigate; to attempt to find out the truth about something; to examine - ตรวจสอบ
  • revive: to come or bring something back to existence or use - ฟื้นฟู, ทำให้เกิดขึ้นอีก
  • submitted (verb): formally given to someone, usually, but not always, so that they can make a decision about it - ยื่น
  • suit (noun): lawsuit; a case that a court is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people or groups - คดีที่ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล คดีที่อยู่ในระหว่างการฟ้องร้อง

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT
MORE IN SECTION