Two police officers at the Aranyaprathet police station in Sa Kaeo province tortured an alcoholic man into falsely confessing that he killed his wife, according to a preliminary fact-finding investigation by the Royal Thai Police.
The woman was in fact killed by a group of teenagers aged 13 to 16, police said. Two of the attackers were reported to be sons of policemen.
Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, a deputy national police chief, said that Panya Khongsaenkham, the 54-year-old husband of the victim, had correctly identified the officer who forced him to strip in a cold, air-conditioned room and the one who wrapped a black plastic rubbish bag over his head.
These acts constituted torture aimed at pressuring Mr Panya to confess to killing his wife, Buaphan Tansu, 47, said Pol Gen Surachate.
Mr Panya, who is now at a government centre for vulnerable people, was shown photos of every officer at the Aranyaprathet station and asked to identify the suspects, he said.
Arrested shortly after the victim’s body was found on Jan 12, Mr Panya had confessed to killing his wife. However, security video subsequently showed five youths were responsible for her death.
Audio clips of conversations involving the lead investigator at the Aranyaprathet station and his colleagues also indicate that officers knew they had “the wrong guy”.
The body of Buaphan was cremated on Saturday.
So far, the investigation has determined that the two officers said to have tortured Mr Panya violated the police disciplinary code and Section 157 of the Criminal Code regarding dereliction of duty and malfeasance, said Pol Lt Gen Somprasong Yentuam, chief of Provincial Police Region 2.
After the investigation is concluded, a panel will hand over all the evidence obtained to Sa Kaeo provincial police. The latter will further investigate whether the officers breached the 2022 Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act or not, said Pol Lt Gen Somprasong.
The National Human Rights Commission said in a statement that it would petition the Office of the Attorney-General to consider pursuing legal action against the two officers under the anti-torture law.
A source familiar with the investigation identified the two officers as Pol Snr Sgt Maj Phisek Phuangmalipradap, an investigator, and Pol Lt Col Phichit Watthano, a deputy chief investigator.
In a related development, national police chief Torsak Sukvimol said the force would soon forward the findings of a study on lowering the maximum age of juvenile delinquents to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the Ministry of Justice for consideration.
An increase in serious crimes committed by youths has led to calls to lower the age for criminal responsibility to ensure appropriate punishment in the justice system.