Thailand's Supreme Court rules Saudi 'blue diamond' theft case is final

[webfact]

Supreme Court rules blue diamond theft case is final



BANGKOK: -- The two decades long blue diamond theft case involving eight former police officers who included Pol Lt-Gen Chalor Kerdthes has now come to a close after the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the Appeals Court which had earlier sentenced all the convicts to serve prison terms from 4-10 years while Chalor alone to 20 years.

The ruling was read at the Criminal Court attended by the former senior police officer Pol Lt Gen Chalor and other convicts who are still serving their prison terms and some have been freed.

The hearing of the verdict came after one of the convicts, Pol Sgt Maj Sawek Kanthama, appealed the Supreme Court against the order of the Appeals Court which revoked the order of the first court declaring that the diamond embezzlement case against him was final.

In revocation of the order he was then named among the four convicts earlier acquitted by the first court of the charges and faced same charge in the state prosecutor’s appeal to the second court. The were later sentenced to serve from 4-10 years in prison.

Three convicts didn’t appeal while Pol Lt-Gen Chalor whose 20-year sentence was also upheld by the Appeals Court.

In today’s hearing of the Supreme Court’s judgement, the court said the Appeals Court had the right to revoke the order of the first court after finding it was wrongly issued out of misunderstanding.

The court then said it upheld the ruling of the Appeals Court in the prison terms given to ask the convicts.

It said as all convicts have completed their respective prison terms, citing that one convict had served almost 20 years in prison and also had his remaining term suspended and freed under a category of old age prisoners, the case should now come to a close.

Pol Lt Gen Chalor, who headed the investigation team of the blue diamond theft case, had spent almost 20 years behind bar.

He was freed from Bang Kwang maximum security prison in October last year in a low-profile event with only his daughter waiting to celebrate his long-sought freedom.

The diamond theft case dated back to 1989, when Kriangkrai Techamong, a Thai worker, stole jewellery and other valuable gems from the palace of Prince Faisal bin Fahd, where he was employed as a janitor.

Kriangkrai had access to the prince’s bedroom and hid the stolen jewellery in a vacuum cleaner bag at the palace. It included a valuable blue diamond and other gems, which Kriangkrai shipped back to his home in Lampang province.

An investigation launched by a police team headed by Pol Lt Gen
Chalor Kerdthes led to the arrest of Kriangkrai and recovery of most of the stolen jewellery.

Kriangkai was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he was released after three years because he confessed to the crime.

The investigation team under Chalor flew to Saudi Arabia to return the stolen jewellery, but the Saudi authorities discovered that about half of it was fake and the blue diamond was missing.

Mohammad al-Ruwaili, a Saudi Arabian businessman close to the Saudi royal family, travelled to Bangkok to investigate, but he was abducted and murdered. Three months later, three officials from the Saudi Embassy were also shot dead in Bangkok. The murders remain unsolved.

Pol Lt Gen Chalor was later charged and convicted of ordering the 1995 murder of the wife and son of a gem dealer involved in the affair, and was sentenced to death.

The supreme court upheld the ruling and sentenced Chalor to death on 16 October 2009.

Six other policemen were also found guilty of involvement in the murders. However, Chalor’s sentence was reduced to fifty years imprisonment on the King’s 84th birthday anniversary.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/supreme-court-rules-blue-diamond-theft-case-final/


-- Thai PBS 2014-08-27

[JetsetBkk]

Supreme Court rules blue diamond theft case is final

I doubt the Saudi's think that.

[IamNoone88]

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail?

[cloudhopper]

http://asiancorrespondent.com/50038/wikileaks-cable-the-curse-of-the-blue-diamond/

[greg71]

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail

There are pictures floating around of a female of a certain family wearing these jewels .

[DLock]

The cleaner initially took 200 lbs of jewelry worth (at that time) $20million - thats a few vacuum cleaner bags worth.

...and wherever that 50 carat blue diamond is now...it's worth a whole lot more today that it was back then.

Doubt it's been cut up. Someone has it in their safe.

Would love someone to have the cohones to do an investigative book on this story...make a great movie too.

[chotthee]

Supreme Court rules blue diamond theft case is final

I doubt the Saudi's think that.

Who cares about those desert people living in tents and raiding camel.

Can't they read? The Thai supreme court say it is final, mean it is final.

Saudis are not the father of Thai people.

[BigBadGeordie]

Love the sarcasm chotthee, best one of the day , so far....,.

[tifino]

ahhh, the old blue diamond case!

poor old Cops were the fall-guys, for the real ringleader (o)(o) .

They had to take the rap, on fear of being executed for telling the Courts who really gave the Orders. Common -knowledge, but nobody's brave, or silly enough to say...

Real fear, as they saw first-hand what happened to any investigator(s), who were on the 'legit' case to recover the real jewels back then...

[hotsoup]

They have found a Blue Lobster in Maine! Diet?

[chotthee]

http://asiancorrespondent.com/50038/wikileaks-cable-the-curse-of-the-blue-diamond/

Good read.

I like these part best:

5. (SBU) In the course of the investigation of the theft, sale, and dispersal of the jewelry, the wife and child of Santi Sithanakhan, a jewel trader involved in the case, were kidnapped, held hostage, and ultimately killed in 1994. The Bangkok Criminal Court found a group led by Royal Thai Police (RTP) officers guilty in 2002; the police allegedly kidnapped the family members in order to pressure Santi to reveal information about what happened to the jewels. The police gang had demanded a ransom of several million baht but killed the hostages after receiving the ransom payment to cover up their illicit behavior.

6. (SBU) During the subsequent prosecution of the kidnappers, two judges, one from the appeals court and one from the supreme court, attempted to extort millions of baht from the ringleader of the kidnapping plot, RTP Lieutenant General Chalo Koetthet. Both judges were charged with corruption and fired in 2001. After the original 2002 conviction was appealed, the Appeals Court implemented much stricter sentencing in 2004, including a death sentence for the ringleader, LTG Chalo. The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in October 2009, as well as sentences of varying degrees of severity for the accomplices. While some of the defendants have been acquitted, or had the charges dismissed against them as the case worked its way through the judicial system, at least one of the accused has died in prison. Many superstitious Thai citizens theorized that the Blue Diamond was cursed.

[clockman]

Judges fired! that unique Thainess.

[ChrisY1]

The cleaner initially took 200 lbs of jewelry worth (at that time) $20million - thats a few vacuum cleaner bags worth.

...and wherever that 50 carat blue diamond is now...it's worth a whole lot more today that it was back then.

Doubt it's been cut up. Someone has it in their safe.

Would love someone to have the cohones to do an investigative book on this story...make a great movie too.

I can't imagine any Thai investigative journalist persuing this story.......it would just be far too dangerous.

I see a post above stating that someone from some family has been seen wearing some of these jewels.........love to see the pictures....

[JetsetBkk]

Love the sarcasm chotthee, best one of the day , so far....,.

Sarcasm?

You must be joking.

[recycled]

Lets see how long before certain people end up ashes.

[webfact]

THAI-SAUDI RELATIONS
Top court upholds ruling in Saudi diamond case
Kesinee Taengkhiao
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE SUPREME COURT yesterday upheld an Appeal Court's ruling of a seven-year jail term for Sawek Kanthama - a former police subordinate of crime-buster Chalor Kerdthes - for abusing authority and stealing jewellery evidence in relation to the Saudi Blue Diamond case.

Sawek, who had been acquitted along with three others by the Criminal Court in May 2006, sought to have the case dropped after prosecutors failed to file an appeal.

While the Criminal Court issued an order dropping the case in June 2007, an appeal was filed after the 30-day deadline. In the second trial, the Appeal Court sentenced Sawek to seven years in prison.

On February 9, 2012, the same court upheld the 20-year jail term for Chalor and cancelled the four subordinates' acquittal.

The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the lower court's late issue of the document dropping the case was a mistake, as the case had not ended and the Appeal Court was authorised to overrule it. The Supreme Court declined to rule on Sawek's plea for cancelling the jail term, as such a request had to be posted in the key case, not attached to his objection to court documents.

After the verdict, Sawek - who has been behind bars for two and a |half years - said he would accept |the seven-year jail term.

Boonyakiat Udonsawaengchok, a special attorney, explained that a prosecutor can appeal against a verdict after the 30-day deadline provided the reasons can be explained. If a defendant asks for a final ruling during this time, court officials might misunderstand. In such a case, all had to obey the court's ruling, he said.

A source said that Sawek, in October 2012, also withdrew his appeal against the seven-year jail term with the Supreme Court, while the prosecutor pushed for the Supreme Court to continue trying the four policemen accused of embezzling the jewellery evidence. This case is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Chalor's punishment for the jewellery embezzlement charges ended with 20 years in jail.

Chalor was released last October after serving 19 years in Bang Kwang Prison for his involvement in the 1994 abduction and murder of Darawadee Srithanakhan and her son. The intent was to force her jeweller husband Santi to give information about the stolen jewellery. His release was on grounds that he had served most of his sentence.

The case of jewellery stolen from Saudi Arabia since late 1980s has soured bilateral ties. Riyadh recalled its charge d'affairs on July 18,after the Criminal Court found five cops not guilty of abducting and murdering Saudi businessman, Mohammad al-Ruwaili, in 1990.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Top-court-upholds-ruling-in-Saudi-diamond-case-30241916.html


-- The Nation 2014-08-28

[cloudhopper]

The cleaner initially took 200 lbs of jewelry worth (at that time) $20million - thats a few vacuum cleaner bags worth.

...and wherever that 50 carat blue diamond is now...it's worth a whole lot more today that it was back then.

Doubt it's been cut up. Someone has it in their safe.

Would love someone to have the cohones to do an investigative book on this story...make a great movie too.

I can't imagine any Thai investigative journalist persuing this story.......it would just be far too dangerous.

I see a post above stating that someone from some family has been seen wearing some of these jewels.........love to see the pictures....

Google Image is your friend

[jaidam]

The cleaner initially took 200 lbs of jewelry worth (at that time) $20million - thats a few vacuum cleaner bags worth.

...and wherever that 50 carat blue diamond is now...it's worth a whole lot more today that it was back then.

Doubt it's been cut up. Someone has it in their safe.

Would love someone to have the cohones to do an investigative book on this story...make a great movie too.

I can't imagine any Thai investigative journalist persuing this story.......it would just be far too dangerous.

I see a post above stating that someone from some family has been seen wearing some of these jewels.........love to see the pictures....

Google Image is your friend

A very obviously fake photograph, clear for all to see, and used continuously by the red team to smear the name and reputation of those unable to defend themselves. But, I do remember seeing a photo of a certain ex PM's wife wearing what was purported to be some of the stolen gems, published in a well known English language daily in the late 90's. The ex PM I am referring to was in power until the '97 crisis, physically resembles Jabba the Hutt, and these days is renowned as a Thaksin acolyte and employee.

[laurentbkk]

heard this story since I arrived in the LOS in 1993 ... bad image for the Thai police ..Saudi don't easily forgive , and they thought giving fake jewelery would be unseen ? And what about the murders of those people in Thailand ? well if the police is involve no wonder they didnt find who did that .

[SOTIRIOS]

 

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail

There are pictures floating around of a female of a certain family wearing these jewels .

 

....you have our attention....more details. please......

[Just1Voice]

The truth of this story will never be known. Those who really knew have been silenced, one way or the other, and will forever remain a "mystery".

[klauskunkel]

The hearing of the verdict came after one of the convicts, Pol Sgt Maj Sawek Kanthama, appealed the Supreme Court against the order of the Appeals Court which revoked the order of the first court declaring that the diamond embezzlement case against him was final.

In revocation of the order he was then named among the four convicts earlier acquitted by the first court of the charges and faced same charge in the state prosecutor’s appeal to the second court.

Ok, glad that this is cleared up.

To Thai PBS, The Broadcaster I can Trust: appreciate your concise reporting and the effort that went into explaining the bowel movements of the judicial system.

[LivinLOS]

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail?

It would appear to be Thai common knowledge (if correct or not I cant say) who is holding this stone..

[eddie61]

The truth of this story will never be known. Those who really knew have been silenced, one way or the other, and will forever remain a "mystery".

A diamond such as this would only be fit for a..... oh I will have to mind my P's and Q's at this point.

Edited August 28, 2014 by eddie61

[khunjamesjohnson]

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail?

It would appear to be Thai common knowledge (if correct or not I cant say) who is holding this stone..

250,000 jobs for Thais in Saudi were lost and Saudis are banned to travel to Thailand I believe.

It's in Thailand and just about everybody knows where it is.

[JacChang]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail?

Kriangkrai got a job working as smeagol.

[tifino]

but aren't smeagols more interested in Rings, than Diamonds?

Edited August 28, 2014 by tifino

[trainman34014]

Another story to make all Thai's proud of their fine and upstanding community. But wait; go out and ask any local people if they know anything about this case and see what response you get. I did and the group i spoke to didn't even know without explanation what the hell i was on about. 'Pass me the bottle opener' was the only comment i got.

[khundon]

Would make a great book. I wonder where the Blue Diamond is now and what became of Kriangkrai after only 3 years in jail?

Well, wherever it is now, unless it has been cut up, it is worth sweet FA on the open market, as it is so well documented they could never sell it.