PATTANI: Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the double-bombing of a Big C Supercenter in Pattani in May last year that left 56 people injured.
The Pattani provincial court on Thursday initially passed the death sentence on Suhaiming Sama-ae and Sama-ae Mama, and then commuted it to life because they confessed to the charges, according to Abdulkohar Arawaeputae, chairman of the Pattani Muslim Lawyers Foundation.
Suhaiming and Sama-ae were convicted of involvement in the two bomb blasts at Big C Supercenter in Muang district, Pattani, on May 9, 2017. Fortunately there were no fatalities, but 56 people were injured.
Relatives of the two men have asked lawyers from the foundation to appeal the judgement.
Maj Gen Jatuporn Klamprasut, commander of the Pattani task force, said on Thursday the two men had given useful information to police during interrogation, Thai media reported.
This led investigators to issue more arrest warrants, raising the number of suspects wanted for the bombing to nine.
On May 9 last year, the first bomb went off about 2.10pm near the food centre inside the Big C building. The second followed shortly after outside the building, after shoppers and staff had left the premises in panic. The second bomb was in a bag left in a pickup truck parked near the main entrance.
The pickup used for the bomb outside the hypermarket had been stolen in Yala province.