Court postpones reading of verdict on former red-shirt leaders over 2007 storming of General Prem’s residence

 

 

The Criminal Court this morning indefinitely postponed its scheduled reading of the Supreme Court’s verdict on four former core members of the red-shirt movement charged with leading protesters in the 2007 storming of the residence of General Prem Tinsulanonda, the late president of the Privy Council, after they submitted a last-minute guilty plea.

 

Former chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), or the red shirt movement, Veerakarn Musikapong, former UDD secretary-general Natthawut Saikua, former UDD core members Dr. Weng Tochirakarn and Wiputhalaeng Pattanapumkthai simultaneously submitted their guilty plea to the Criminal Court before the reading of the final verdict of the Supreme Court.

 

The Criminal Court accepted their guilty plea, which will be passed to the Supreme Court for consideration. As such, the final verdict in the case has been postponed until after the Supreme Court has considered the four defendants’ guilty pleas.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/court-postpones-reading-of-verdict-on-former-red-shirt-leaders-over-2007-storming-of-general-prems-residence/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-09-23

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So they guessed they were about to get a guilty verdict and pleading guilty gets a 50% discount on the sentence. It also allows for royal pardons.

Four UDD members plead guilty to seizure of Prem’s home

By THE NATION

 

 

The Criminal Court, which was initially scheduled to read the Supreme Court’s verdict on Monday (September 23) on a case involving seven core members of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), had to reschedule as four defendants retracted their not-guilty plea and submitted their confessions instead.

 

The seven face charges related to the illegal seizure of late Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda’s residence in July 2007, 

The four who submitted their guilty pleas are former UDD chairman Veerakarn Musikapong, ex-UDD secretary-general Natthawut Saikua, former Pheu Thai Wiputhalaeng Pattanaphumthai and former Pheu Thai MP Weng Tojirakarn 

 

This is the second time that the verdict reading has been postponed. The first time this happened was in July 31, when Veerakarn asked to be excused due to poor health. 

 

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court said the case has been filed and that the defendants’ guilty plea will be submitted to the Supreme Court to consider. 

 

Veerakarn told reporters outside the court that though he was still ill, he was ready to keep the court appointment to hear the Supreme Court’s verdict. 

 

The seven defendants, Veerakarn, Natthawut, Weng, Wiputhalaeng, Wanchai Naputtha, Veerasak Hemathulin and Nopparut Worachitvutthikul, were in court to face charges of criminal association, inciting unrest, illegally possessing firearms and obstructing officials through intimidation, when they led some 1,000 protesters to surround Prem’s Si Sao Thewet residence on July 22, 2007. 

 

In September 2015, the Criminal Court found five defendants guilty, sentencing Nopparut to two years and eight months in jail, while Veerakarn, Weng, Natthawut and Wiputhalaeng were each given four years and four months in jail. Veerasak and Wanchai, however, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. 

 

The five appealed this verdict, and though the Appeals Court upheld the guilty verdict and maintained Nopparut’s original sentence, it reduced the term for Veerakarn, Weng, Natthawut and Wiputthalaeng to two years, eight months each. The five defendants then took their appeal to the Supreme Court, which slated the verdict to be read on Monday (September 23).

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376617

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-24

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22 hours ago, webfact said:

The Criminal Court accepted their guilty plea, which will be passed to the Supreme Court for consideration. As such, the final verdict in the case has been postponed until after the Supreme Court has considered the four defendants’ guilty pleas.

Why doesn't the Supreme Court simply remand the case back to the Appeals Court that set the sentences based on its previous guilty verdict?

Any ruling now by the Supreme Court seems redundant and a waste of court resources. The Appeals Court might mitigate the sentences further based on the recent defendant's acknowledgement of guilt. But no further action is required by the Supreme Court as there is no longer any question before the court.

The wheels on the bus go round and round, it's definitely just games for the (big) kids. 

Edited September 24, 20196 yr by Artisi