Prosecutors have decided not to indict a former police station chief and four fellow officers suspected of helping an influential figure murder a highway policeman in Nakhon Pathom province on Sept 6.
Prayuth Phetchakhun, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, announced the decision during a press briefing yesterday.
He said the five -- Pol Col Kritdaporn Chong-aksorn, former chief of the Phaya Thai police station in Bangkok, and Pol Capt Nutthaphol Nakkorn, Pol Lt Col Phathorn Worayawisut, Pol Lt Col Manat Janmeesub and Pol Col Phanuthat Luangsajjakul -- were not indicted because there was evidence that they had taken part in rushing the murder victim to hospital.
The five were not just standing back and watching the murder take place, as charged by the police, he said.
However, Mr Prayuth said the decision not to indict may be challenged by police investigators handling the case.
If so, the attorney-general will make the final decision on whether the indictment should be dropped or not, Mr Prayuth said.
Praween Chankhlai, also known as "Kamnan Nok", his seven associates and the several police officers were charged in connection with the murder of Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua, a Highway Police Sub-Division 2 officer, at a party at his house in Nakhon Pathom's Muang district on Sept 6.
Crime Suppression Division investigators have wrapped up their investigation.
The victim was allegedly killed by Thananchai Manmak during a dispute over a promotion at the party.
Mr Praween surrendered to police the following day, while Thananchai was killed in a gunfight with police in Kanchanaburi.
Investigators charged Mr Praween for ordering the victim's death and attempting to kill him.
Mr Praween, who has been remanded in Bangkok Remand Prison, denies all the charges against him.