Lack of evidence leads to the acquittal of Yala terror suspect
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- THE CRIMINAL COURT yesterday acquitted a Yala man of conspiracy to terror because of a lack of witness accounts that could have implicated him in a series of acts cited as separatist efforts 12 years ago.

The judges said the prosecution had presented only hearsay to implicate the defendant, Ahamat Ma-u-seng, and it was not sufficient to convince them that he had been involved in a separatist movement in the deep South known as Mujahideen Islam Pattani.

They also ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove he attended three meetings to plan attacks between June and August of 2002, before his arrest in September 2011.

The suspect, 31, was also acquitted of illegal possession of a number of weapons including an assault rifle and a pistol, of criminal or terror conspiracy and attempted insurrection. He had been in court custody since his arrest two years ago.

Meanwhile, local police have been beefing up security in Yala province including Betong district - scene of a devastating car-bomb attack last week - to cope with two coming events, the anniversary of a separatist movement and Malaysia's Independence Day.

Both fall on August 31 and security forces are wary that symbolic attacks or incidents are possible.

Measures to be adopted include setting up more road checkpoints, conducting raids and stepping up inspections of sewerage systems in which bombs could be hidden, according to a security meeting attended jointly by police and soldiers yesterday.

Security officials say they are pursuing arrest warrants for two suspects alleged to have assisted in the Betong car-bomb attack.

Ahbah Jeh-ali and Makorseng Jehma were allegedly seen parking an explosives-packed vehicle at the site of the blast, and later hijacking a passenger van to use as an escape vehicle.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Lack-of-evidence-leads-to-the-acquittal-of-Yala-te-30239978.html

[thenation]2014-08-01[/thenation]

Wow 2 years custody and then no evidence.... if I would be Innocent ...I would be very pissed off now...

Edited August 1, 201411 yr by SoFarAndNear

i have never pretended that I understand the so called Thai judicial system,  and even calling it a system is questionable,  but taking a case to court with only hearsay evidence ?

 

In the criminal jurisdictions i worked in it would never happen but I have no knowledge of how Thai law views hearsay and maybe,  as so often is the case,  they make it up as they go along.

If by any chance hearsay is considered as it would be in other jurisdictions it says a lot about the quality,  or lack thereof,  of the legal officials who decided to proceed with this but since TIT they may have considered there would be no problem.

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Wow 2 years custody and then no evidence.... if I would be Innocent ...I would be very pissed off now...

 

 

 

 

They are lucky it's Thailand, in Oz the state would now be being sued, pretty shoddy police work, Thailand  should have a review panel that checks to see if cases are strong enough to go to court and throw the rest out, saves time and money , this trivial case is like a lot in Thailand B/S 

Black ops fixes all this stuff...dont know nuthin dont see nuthin dont speak nothin...they just disappear.

Black ops fixes all this stuff...dont know nuthin dont see nuthin dont speak nothin...they just disappear.

 

Over the years hundreds have been arrested, sent to trial, then charges dismissed for lack of evidence.

 

It has been reported a number of times that some of those released for lack of evidence have then been killed by alleged pro government death squads. Disappearing / extrajudicial killings is shortsighted as it only creates yet more issues, such as esculated violence by way of tit for tat killings.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Map-of-violence-could-open-a-path-to-peace-in-deep-30234436.html

Edited August 1, 201411 yr by simple1

"September 2011" An omen?

Considering that the man would not be innocent of all the, numerous, charges brought against him: why would the separatists, insurgents, terrorists use different 'techniques' than those successfully used by Thai politicians and 'hi-sos'? I mean make sure that evidence disappears, and witnesses withdraw, or disappear too, whether using the, soft, money way, or, like in this case IMO, harder ways like treaths, clear menaces, a small pistol shot here, a little bomb there, on the person, and, of course, his 'weak spot, his family (also many Thais are both greedy and not-so-brave, also those wearing a brown uniform, or a black robe). When the Thai criminal, and appeal, Courts would have evolved out of the middle ages (the Laws are quite modern, but the MO from the judges is antiquated), this kind of cases would not lead to acquittal, all the opposite, it would lead to extra charges for coercion, corruption, of witnesses, and tampering with evidence! It reminds me of many cases against red terrorists and arsonists, and, at the top, the, very, evident murder case against a son of the man addicted to ear medicine, all leading to acquittal for the same 'reasons' as today's ruling. I don't know whether the NCPO counts enough specialists in 'the Law', but IMHO, it is high time strict rules are put forward, for the prosecutors, and the Judges, on how to interpret and use the laws and the jurisprudentia. A stone, a big rock, in the garden of the future House, too, for the MPs to do their job, at last, and review and reactualise the texts of the laws according to the jurisprudentia (I know of a number of Thai laws telling 'black' with rulings by the hundreds a rato of 80+% telling 'white', this should be a non possumus situation for the Judges, instead they go on ruling, with much too much latitude for interpretation, when the law is bad, change the law, but, until then, the law remains the law...).