The Supreme Court has upheld the acquittal of five former Bangkok police officers of the abduction and murder of Saudi businessman Mohamed al-Ruwaili 29 years ago, citing lack of evidence.
The ruling, read at the Criminal Court on Friday, cleared Pol Lt Gen Somkid Boonthanom, Pol Col Sorarak Jusanit, Pol Col Praphas Piyamongkol, Pol Lt Col Suradej Udomdee and Pol Sgt Maj Prasong Thorrang.
On Jan 12, 2010, public prosecutors told the Criminal Court that severe conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 1987 led to attacks on Saudi diplomats in many countries.
A diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Bangkok was killed in Silom sub-district of Bang Rak district in Bangkok on Jan 4, 1989. On Feb 1, 1990, there were two more attacks in Thung Mahamek sub-district of Yannawa district, Bangkok, and three more Saudi diplomats were killed.
The five defendants were then attached to South Bangkok police headquarters and were assigned to investigate the murders.
During the investigation, they allegedly kidnapped the Saudi businessman, a relative of the Saudi royal family and a broker for Thais wanting to work in Saudi Arabia, for interrogation. They thought al-Ruwaili had a dispute with the diplomats over the provision of Thai labour.
The prosecution alleged the five defendants detained the businessman at Chimphli Hotel in Khlong Tan area of Phra Khanong district. They allegedly beat a confession out of al-Ruwaili, killed him and burnt the body in a plantation in tambon Surasak of Chon Buri's Si Racha district to cover up their crime.
The five defendants surrendered to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and were charged on Nov 24, 2009.
The Criminal Court acquitted them on March 31, 2014, as prosecutors failed to present their key witness Pol Lt Col Suvichai Kaewpluek to the court and the witness's written testimony alone was doubted.
Earlier the witness told the DSI that he witnessed the detention and found the victim's ring at the bottom of a barrel allegedly used for the burning of the body.
However, the ring did not show any signs of having been burnt, and the victim's relatives were not sure it was al-Ruwaili's ring.
The Criminal Court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove the five defendants murdered the businessman. The Appeal Court upheld the judgement on May 3, 2016.
The Supreme Court found Pol Lt Col Suvichai's testimony was inconsistent and that he raised the story of finding the ring only after he had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Min Buri court for the abduction and death of a Lao person.
The court believed the witness was hoping his own sentence would be reduced.
The Supreme Court also doubted the ring had been burnt with a body and if it belonged to the Saudi victim. Due to lack of evidence, the Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' acquittal of the five former policemen, who were all at the Criminal Court on Friday for the decision.
The murder of Saudi diplomats happened shortly after Saudi jewellery heist was uncovered in 1989.