SPECIAL REPORT
Verdicts in CentralWorld arson case tomorrow
Kesinee Taengkhiao
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court, tomorrow, will hand down a verdict in relation to the arson attacks during the 2010 political turmoil.

The two defendants, Saichon Paebua and Pinit Channarong, are being tried for torching CentralWorld in the wake of the dispersal of the red-shirt rally at Ratchaprasong.

The public prosecutors contend that the two violated the emergency law in order to raid and set fire to the shopping mall on May 19, 2010.

Some 270 business proprietors in the mall reported Bt8.8 billion in damage caused by fire and vandalism.

The prosecution is seeking penalties for arson and offences under the emergency law and Articles 217, 218 and 224 of the Criminal Code.

The defendants entered a not-guilty plea against all charges.

The defence called a political office holder and red-shirt leader, Sangiam Samranrat, as a character witness for Saichon.

Sangiam told the court that Saichon was his employee and had an exemplary job record as a guard at a shopping mall on Lat Phrao Road.

Fire-fighting expert Chumpol Boonprayoon testified for the defence that the CentralWorld fire happened despite stringent safety measures.

Some 14 unidentified men raided the shopping mall but about 180 security guards chased them out.

In the second wave of attacks, about seven to eight armed men, who looked like soldiers out of uniform, threw grenades at the security guards prompting police intervention.

After police forced the attackers out of the premise, the security guards suspended their duty at 4.40pm due to concerns for their safety.

Around 7pm, fire-fighters were alerted to the fire but could access the scene only after 10pm.

The building collapsed around 9pm due to the fire while the soldiers, who guarded the scene, looked on.

The arson trial began in September 2010. The prosecution called its witnesses between June 2011 and November 2012. The defence witnesses testified from December 2012 to January 2013.

In separate trial, the seven armed men involved in the raid were acquitted for robbery but convicted for violating the emergency decree.

Six of the seven were sentenced to serve six months in jail. The final convict, found guilty of the additional charge of stealing mobile phones, received the total jail term of three years and six months.

-- The Nation 2013-03-24

I'd let em all go to be honest. I mean, who's never fire bombed a few buildings in the name of political anger and not really meant it in the morning...?

I know I have...

So it brought the whole building down, interesting.......................

perhaps it was done for the insurance. Throwing grenades at security sounds far fetched and a good excuse to go home.

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

Bring it on your honour , I need a good laugh on Mondays.

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

sporting the same haircut.acting like trained.

What do disinformation propagandists look like?

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

From the next sentence in the paragraph, the throwing grenades part, I assume it means armed as soldiers but dressed differently.

''Seven to eight men who looked like soldiers out of uniform,''

Thus going by the witnesses statement quoted in the original post above we can but only presume that every woman we see walking along Sukhumvit road dressed as if going to the office are in reality actually ladies of the night who will bestow their favours upon you for the total sum of the mutually agreed coin of the realm.

''One cannot judge a book by its cover'' is the expression that springs to mind.

Edited March 24, 201313 yr by siampolee

What do disinformation propagandists look like?

".......Around 7pm, fire-fighters were alerted to the fire but could access the scene only after 10pm.

The building collapsed around 9pm due to the fire while the soldiers, who guarded the scene, looked on............"

Says a lot, does it not ???

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

Men in black?

Will the insurance company who paid out so quickly ask for the money back if its not terrorism. Please remember who owns central world and their position in the amaat. I have a lovely diagram that links families thru business and political ties in Thailand. Dont think the 'nonsense' newspaper would like me to post it here. Go search the net guys

Didn't a case just get concluded that it was arson?

So is this the case concerning who did it? Shouldn't this case come first in the process?

Justice is swift, for the reds!

The defence called a political office holder and red-shirt leader, Sangiam Samranrat, as a character witness for Saichon.

No further questions.

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

sporting the same haircut.acting like trained.

YEP - Like when US Military deploy to Thailand as "College Students" - all buff, with short hair and relate to each other as if in uniform...LOL

What a load of utter B.S....

Some 14 unidentified men raided the shopping mall but about 180 security guards chased them out.

[180 to chase out 14???]

In the second wave of attacks, about seven to eight armed men, who looked like soldiers out of uniform, threw grenades at the security guards prompting police intervention.

After police forced the attackers out of the premise, the security guards suspended their duty at 4.40pm due to concerns for their safety.

[The security guards "suspended their duty" AFTER the police shooed away the attackers???]

Around 7pm, fire-fighters were alerted to the fire but could access the scene only after 10pm.

The building collapsed around 9pm due to the fire while the soldiers, who guarded the scene, looked on.

[The soldiers looked on, and did nothing to secure access for the firefighters???]

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

If you had witness something you should report it to the police.

Dear Philw, if you'd take the trouble to do some research of the May 2010 topics, you'll notice that the fire brigade was standing by because they were fired upon and needed the army to give an "all clear" signal first. The army was still in heavy gunfights with unarmed protesters and militants and other fools at the time.

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

they are back in Isaan

Will the insurance company who paid out so quickly ask for the money back if its not terrorism. Please remember who owns central world and their position in the amaat. I have a lovely diagram that links families thru business and political ties in Thailand. Dont think the 'nonsense' newspaper would like me to post it here. Go search the net guys

If you want to post conspiracy theories, at least get your facts right.

Central World is owned by the Central group. The land on which CW stands, is owned by the Crown Property Bureau.

The main insurance company involved - Deves - is majority owned by the same Crown Property Bureau.

In other words, it is highly unlikely that one party will be treated any more favourably than the other.

Try and un-amaat your mind and wait for the court's decision.

Dear Philw, if you'd take the trouble to do some research of the May 2010 topics, you'll notice that the fire brigade was standing by because they were fired upon and needed the army to give an "all clear" signal first. The army was still in heavy gunfights with unarmed protesters and militants and other fools at the time.

the army had heavy gunfights?

So it brought the whole building down, interesting.......................

perhaps it was done for the insurance. Throwing grenades at security sounds far fetched and a good excuse to go home.

You can buy grenades for 50baht so...Would you risk your life for that salary?

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

Soldiers in or out of uniform are quite easy to spot if you have military back round.

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

If you had witness something you should report it to the police.

It was reported in the National press re:the gas bottles and on T.V. showing the army confiscating the bags of looted items from the returning red shirts . Anyway are you joking "report it to the police". Of course they would act on it , the action would be to file it into the nearest waste paper bin

So it brought the whole building down, interesting.......................

perhaps it was done for the insurance. Throwing grenades at security sounds far fetched and a good excuse to go home.

Somehow I really doubt that this was insurance fraud. And it didn't bring down the whole building, but a big part of the entrance area. Also, the grenades claim sounds more than plausible to me considering what else they threw at each other during the turmoil.

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

If you had witness something you should report it to the police.

It was reported in the National press re:the gas bottles and on T.V. showing the army confiscating the bags of looted items from the returning red shirts . Anyway are you joking "report it to the police". Of course they would act on it , the action would be to file it into the nearest waste paper bin

Absolutely right. The police had mysteriously disappeared from the scene ever since the start of the riots.

^ #28 khunken
"The police had mysteriously disappeared from the scene ever since the start of the riots."

The police returned in time to protect UDD leaders from somewhat angry and annoyed supporters who'd just been told "It's over, go home". The police also escorted the worthy gentlemen to the nearest police station. Seems the UDD leaders, or at least k. Jatuporn in Ghandhi Tshirt had good fun there while their supporters were still battling and dying

Only two people up on charges for arson and looting ???? What about the bottles of cooking gas piled up inside Central world just waiting to explode and what about the people queing up for the free buses back to Issan carring bags of designer watches and jewelery , where are they now ?

If you had witness something you should report it to the police.

It was reported in the National press re:the gas bottles and on T.V. showing the army confiscating the bags of looted items from the returning red shirts . Anyway are you joking "report it to the police". Of course they would act on it , the action would be to file it into the nearest waste paper bin:cheesy:

Absolutely right. The police had mysteriously disappeared from the scene ever since the start of the riots.

not mysteriously. its because the emergency law, where the army had taken over in control of law and order.