Police deny Koh Tao murder confessions retracted

[Lite Beer]

Police deny Koh Tao murder confessions retracted

KOH TAO: -- Police on Saturday (October 11) denied the two Koh Tao murder suspects had retracted their confessions, as the troubled case took a new twist.

Pol Maj Gen Praween Pongsirin said that Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin had confessed to the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao on Sept 15, a case which has attracted intense international scrutiny and criticism.

However, a Myanmar embassy lawyer had previously told the Democratic Voice of Burma website that the pair had been tortured in police custody and that they felt they had been set up for the crimes.

The deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8 said the two suspects have maintained their confessions and repented their crime. Their widely reported retraction was simply a rumour, he said.

The police handling of the case has been widely criticised in Thailand and internationally.

Protesters demanding the suspects get a fair trial greeted junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha when he visited Myanmar last week, his first international visit since installing himself as prime minister.

Protests were also held outside the Thai embassy in Japan.

Pol Maj Gen Praween also denied that prosecutors had rejected the investigation case file as incomplete, saying the police's evidence was accurate and strong.

A panel of prosecutors had merely asked the police investigators to review the case and to maximise the punishment in light of evidence the suspects had tried to cover up their crime, he said.

Police have resubmitted the case file to prosecutors along with a higher recommended sentence.

The suspects were informed of the revised penalty recommendation, but police have not said how many years in prison they may face, he said.

It was now up to prosecutors to decide when to file the case in court, Pol Maj Gen Praween said.

Regional Public Prosecution 8 deputy director-general Tawatchai Siangjaew, head of the prosecution panel handling the investigation report, said the police case had holes in it, though he did not elaborate on what shortcomings prosecutors had found in the 300-page document.

Mr Tawatchai denied that they had thrown it out, saying only that the report was not complete. The panel ordered the police on Thursday to substantiate their report and provide more evidence.

The two suspects, detained at the Koh Samui district prison, were being monitored closely for fear they might commit suicide. Guards and inmates have reportedly been told to help monitor them for their own safety after they began to show signs of stress. Their food is also being checked.

Last week, the parents of British backpacker Nick Pearson, found dead on Koh Tao on Jan 1, told British media they were convinced he had been murdered and the evidence covered up.

Pearson's mother Tracy vowed to fight for the truth, saying: “It seems like they just want to protect their tourist industry but we need to know what happened.

-- Phuket News 2014-10-12

[JOC]

And we believe you!!

[JOC]

The lawyers, the embassy and the procecutors are all lying?? And the police is telling the truth??

There is a first for everything!!

[Johnsen]

This is what they get for retracting. A higher sentence now.. Wow they r really going to die. That's incredible.

[ParadiseLost]

[lildragon]

The world sees right through your charade RTP. I hope that your report is ripped to shreds in court.

[bertty]

Are we really surprised by these statements ?

I wonder why they bother. We all now know they are a joke.

Guess we are all hoping the good general will eventually get fed up with them embarrasing him, and he might sort them out.

Edited October 12, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[Costas2008]

I wonder to what lengths this police will go to cover their wrongdoings and not loose face.

People in Thailand, people all over the world do not trust them.

Thai police and eventually Thailand have become the laughing stock of the world.

Somebody in this country, has to realise they are not protecting Thailand of ill repute but on the opposite they are damaging the reputation and integrity of Thailand.

[Robby nz]

So the police say :

A panel of prosecutors had merely asked the police investigators to review the case and to maximise the punishment in light of evidence the suspects had tried to cover up their crime, he said.

Contradicted by :

Regional Public Prosecution 8 deputy director-general Tawatchai Siangjaew, head of the prosecution panel handling the investigation report, said the police case had holes in it, though he did not elaborate on what shortcomings prosecutors had found in the 300-page document.

Mr Tawatchai denied that they had thrown it out, saying only that the report was not complete. The panel ordered the police on Thursday to substantiate their report and provide more evidence.

Tried to cover up their crime, that seems to be a new one, reports said they were asleep in bed the morning after, the policeman must be referring to them recanting their alleged confession.

A panel of prosecutors had merely asked the police investigators to review the case and to maximise the punishment in light of evidence the suspects had tried to cover up their crime, he said.

The police have threatened the suspects with a harsher penalty if they don't confess.

The suspects were informed of the revised penalty recommendation, but police have not said how many years in prison they may face, he said.

[Tatsujin]

And we're right back to square one with the "whatever I say is the truth and you must accept it without question cos we're the RTP" . . . morons . . . the whole lot of them . . .

[Confuscious]

I did read a new Police investigation claiming that the 2 backpackers committed suicide.

[smokie36]

Should be interesting at the pre trial hearing for them to give evidence when their lawyer tells the court they have retracted and refuse to answer any more questions.

[JohnThailandJohn]

The lawyer first stated they confessed to him in a private meeting as well as to embassy personal and a human rights group. Then the lawyer is quoted in a Myranmar newspaper as saying one of they recanted and seems the story has grown out of that. The lawyer seems to be playing to the conspiracy theorists including his idiotic comment of saying the UK should check the evidence since this would be up to him to do, not the prosecution or police since they already have a match. It seems clear he is playing to public as opposed to using the court.

The real problem here is the mistrust of the police, not the case as these two need to stand trial an let their lawyer test the DNA anywhere they want.

Edited October 12, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[jaltsc]

"Police on Saturday (October 11) denied the two Koh Tao murder suspects had retracted their confessions, as the troubled case took a new twist."

They probably denied that they retracted their confessions after a 2 hour private meeting with the "proper" authorities. I wouldn't be surprised if they will not be available to the public for a few weeks since they have decided to gain greater insight into their transgressions and will need to be in private meditation until they do...or the new burns and bruises are not noticeable any more.

Edited October 12, 2014 by jaltsc

[JohnThailandJohn]

Same lawyer who after stating below said something different to a newspaper in Myanmar language paper...

Lawyer Aung Myo Thant said the pair, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, from the Arakanese town of Kyaukphyu, told a Burmese embassy legal team they had murdered English tourists

Speaking to DVB on Monday, Kyaw Thaung, a representative of the Myanmar Association in Thailand, who attended the interview with the defendants, said, “We went to the prison [on Koh Samui] and were allowed to meet with the two freely. They confessed to committing the crime under the influence of alcohol.

https://www.dvb.no/n...a-myanmar/44781

[JohnThailandJohn]

Sadly if this lawyer is playing games, in the public, he is going to ensure the suspect(s) get the death penalty if found guilty. The only hope, given just the evidence released to date, is for them to show remorse and cooperate.

[AGareth2]

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul

[Local Drunk]

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul

Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the fandango?

[bertty]

Reminds me a bit of the Life of Brian. Python film.

We sentence you to death...

But I didn't do it.....

You're only making it worse for yourself.

[BoristheBlade]

You and you colleagues have brought Shame to the people of Thailand, now go back under your stone.

Sadly if this lawyer is playing games, in the public, he is going to ensure the suspect(s) get the death penalty if found guilty. The only hope, given just the evidence released to date, is for them to show remorse and cooperate.

Edited October 12, 2014 by BoristheBlade

[robsamui]

SUMMARY of QUOTE:

"We are worried that these two Burmese guys are so upset by their horrendous crime that they might both decide to suddenly commit suicide at the same time - so we are keeping a close eye on them. We are also checking their food, in case they are so determined to end their lives that they decide to mysteriously somehow poison themselves."

Speaks volumes.

[JOC]

The lawyer first stated they confessed to him in a private meeting as well as to embassy personal and a human rights group. Then the lawyer is quoted in a Myranmar newspaper as saying one of they recanted and seems the story has grown out of that. The lawyer seems to be playing to the conspiracy theorists including his idiotic comment of saying the UK should check the evidence since this would be up to him to do, not the prosecution or police since they already have a match. It seems clear he is playing to public as opposed to using the court.

The real problem here is the mistrust of the police, not the case as these two need to stand trial an let their lawyer test the DNA anywhere they want.

"The real problem here is the mistrust of the police"

Understatement of the century??

[Pattaya46]

The lawyers, the embassy and the procecutors are all lying?? And the police is telling the truth??

I think so.There is a big difference between:

- saying to the media that the suspect retracted

- making an official retraction to the police

I agree with JohnThailanJohn: "The lawyer seems to be playing to the conspiracy theorists"

[jacky54]

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul

But for the country to forfeit it's soul for the gain of somebody on KT is truly sad.

[monk213]

Literally I guess that all there is to wait for now is a RIP for the scapegoats, what a sad and corrupt evil policed greedy little world we live in

[Local Drunk]

The lawyers, the embassy and the procecutors are all lying?? And the police is telling the truth??

I think so.There is a big difference between:

- saying to the media that the suspect retracted

- making an official retraction to the police

I agree with JohnThailanJohn: "The lawyer seems to be playing to the conspiracy theorists"

Right... We have the police saying that they fear the suspects will commit suicide in lock-up, and JTJ saying that the suspects lawyers are going to get them killed.

[paddyjenkins]

Don't think it matters what the police say anymore, nobody trusts them. And it seems to me Thailand has acquired a deserved reputation abroad of violence and thuggery and that is now damaging tourist arrivals after years of getting away with anything.

Until the powers that be accept they, the country, the people, have a problem then nothing will change and we will just read of more assaults, murders, rapes, robberies and tourists numbers will collapse. Like New York in the 80s, a zero tolerance policy needs to be adopted. Every swaggering thug and piece of street scum needs to be swept off the streets, they need to fear that even the smallest crime or antisocial behavior will be punished swiftly and harshly. This is the only way as when people feel they can get away with anything, then they do anything, and it gets worse and worse. And the ones who don't learn, the ones who are incapable of learning anymore so than can a rabid dog, then they should be put behind bars forever, a three strikes rule let's say.

Every threat to a decent person, a tourist, or even just dropping litter and they need to be hauled off to spend time behind bars. The police need to sweep the streets of these people on a daily basis, just like we see the frequent ladyboy sweeps on places like Pattaya's beach road, so all the men and women and ladyboy's who are destroying Thailand need to be swept from the streets day in and day out until they don't dare to lift a finger against any decent person or even look a decent person in the eye. It is obvious who they are, we all know, so do the police. But have the street scum we see every day on places like Pattaya's beach road even been ID'd by the police? Have we ever seen any sweep of all the thugs, as opposed to just the ladyboy's? There is no reason this can't be done, no reason at all. And if in Pattaya, Phuket, Ko Samui, Kao Tao, this became the policy then Thailand's image would be restored just like New York's was.

If Thailand is not willing or able to do that then the country has no future.

[jacky54]

Well at least the whole world can now see what a sham Thailand is when it comes to law enforcement and justice. it's still a feudal, hierarchical society with a thin veneer of civilisation on the top, where the only things that matter ultimately is money and position, if you have those you can do anything here, even get away with murder. Hopefully Thailand can redeem itself in the eyes of the world by throwing this case out, because if this travesty ever gets to court the judges are just going to go along with it, the 'verdict' will all be a forgone conclusion.

[Bluespunk]

Sadly if this lawyer is playing games, in the public, he is going to ensure the suspect(s) get the death penalty if found guilty. The only hope, given just the evidence released to date, is for them to show remorse and cooperate.

No, I'd say their only hope if they are innocent is to have their DNA taken by an independent body and have it compared to the profile already available.

If it doesn't match then they have a much better chance of attaining justice.

[JOC]

You and you colleagues have brought Shame to the people of Thailand, now go back under your stone.

Sadly if this lawyer is playing games, in the public, he is going to ensure the suspect(s) get the death penalty if found guilty. The only hope, given just the evidence released to date, is for them to show remorse and cooperate.

What a stupid post!!

You can think whatever you want about JTJ, but he is actually making some good points (sometimes), so if you don't agree with him, okay bring forward your counterarguments, instead of this childish namecalling!!