The Supreme Court has upheld the acquittal of five former Bangkok police officers who were accused of the abduction and murder of Saudi businessman Mohamed al-Ruwaili 29 years ago, citing a lack of evidence.
Somkid: Cleared in Saudi man's death
The ruling, read at the Criminal Court yesterday, 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, prosecutors told the Criminal Court that strained relations 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, in Bang Rak district on Jan 4, 1989.
On Feb 1, 1990, there were two more attacks in Thung Mahamek, in Yannawa district, Bangkok, and three more Saudi diplomats were killed.
The five defendants were at that time attached to South Bangkok police headquarters and were assigned to investigate the murders.
During the investigation, they allegedly kidnapped a Saudi businessman, a relative of the Saudi royal family and a broker for Thais wanting to work in Saudi Arabia, for interrogation.
They thought Ruwaili had a dispute with the diplomats over the provision of Thai labour.
The prosecution alleged that the five defendants detained the businessman at the Chimphli Hotel in the Klong Tan area of Phra Khanong district.
They allegedly beat a confession out of Ruwaili and then killed him and burnt his body on 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 not enough to convince the court of the policemen's guilt.
Earlier, he told the DSI that he had witnessed the detention and found the victim's ring at the bottom of a barrel allegedly used to burn the body.
However, the ring did not show any signs of having been burnt, and the victim's relatives were not sure it was Ruwaili's ring.
The Criminal Court ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove the five defendants had murdered the businessman.
The Appeal Court upheld the judgement on May 3, 2016.