Koh Tao murder trial reconvenes in Koh Samui

[robblok]

What a disgrace of the UK not releasing that report, makes them as bad as Thailand.

Sure they signed a confidentiality agreement with Thailand but British subjects have been killed and possible innocents are going to jail for it. Not the morals I would have expected from the Brits.

[MockingJay]

The final words in that report say this and cast my fears that they will frie the B2 whatever happens during the trial in concrete: "Granted, much of this text, particularly when mentioning future events, is conjecture. Yet, it’s a sad commentary on Thai investigative methods, when there are so many doubts about how this case has been handled. A few mis-steps would be understandable. However, the handling of this case goes way beyond mis-steps – and the number of screw-ups are staggering. Any reasonable person’s hopes for a fair trial or that the former prime suspects be reinstated as suspects, ….are false hopes. The cultural realities in Thailand are such that, hopes of a truly fair trial in this case are naïve."

[Darkknight666]

JLC

There are people who say directly it was NS and they can't be a witness. I cannot post it because it's in Thai but I'll be happy to PM it to you

There are plenty of people who know what happened, even some claimed eye witnesses but, they're scared as well. I wonder if that's because of the Burmese mafia on Tao....

[SOTIRIOS]

....a series of 'judgements'....before the judgement......

[AleG]

They released that statement over six months before the beginning of the trial, the prosecution hasn't even finished presenting the evidence to the court as of now; so how could they had made a statement against something that haven't happened yet?

Geez...

because professional police observed how the Thai police were throwing together what we have now mostly seen and called it into question, there was little they could say in reality but if you are smart enough you can join up the dots, like I have said continually - there is nothing the Thai police have presented so far that would have made it past the front gate of a western court, it really is as simple as that, in fact it is so very obviously bad that smart people here on this forum can't figure out why you don't see it and keep defending this very obvious farce, you are either cognitively challenged - a troll - have divisive motives or a mix of all three

Well gee, I may be a stupid troll but at least don't suffer from the hubris necessary to declare I know what the entirety of the case presented to the court by the prosecution amounts to based on a handful of tweets from the defense team and sparse and often inaccurate accounts from the press.

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[BoristheBlade]

Its ironic that the recent tragic events in Bangkok are almost a mirror image of the Koh Tao tradgedy in terms of the investigation.

Pathetic, unprofessional, corrupt, ineptidude by the RTP.

A profesional investigation would have quickly solved this case.

I also surgest the Chief of the RTP buy some quality CCTV enhancement software instead of investing his billions of baht in the stock market.

He clearly has lost his focus of his "proper" job.

Edited August 26, 2015 by BoristheBlade

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[steffi]

The rationale seems wrong. Who decides whether something is of value to the defense?

[Davedub]

Men accused of killing British tourists in Thailand refused access to Met report

Burmese pair lose high court attempt to view Scotland Yard report into Thai investigation of murders of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge

By Jamie Grierson

LONDON: -- Two Burmese men accused of the murder of two British tourists in Thailand in September 2014 have lost a high court challenge that sought access to a secret report by Scotland Yard on the Thai police investigation into their alleged crimes.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo also known as Win Zaw Htun are standing trial on the island of Koh Samui for the murder of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, and face the death penalty if convicted.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo brought a legal challenge at the high court in London after the Metropolitan police refused to hand over a report they had compiled on the Royal Thai police investigation on the understanding it would never be published.

High court judge Mr Justice Green rejected the mens application on Tuesday after hearing arguments from Scotland Yard that breaking the confidentiality agreement with the Thai authorities would damage international cooperation. He said he had concluded that there was nothing of real value to the men in the report or of material assistance to their defence, but added he had felt unease when reaching his findings.

The judgment, which cannot be appealed against, will come as a severe blow to Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo both restaurant workers who have claimed they were tortured into confessing to the murders and who will open their defence case shortly.

Zoe Bedford, a lawyer at human rights charity Reprieve, which brought the case on behalf of the defendants, questioned the judges conclusion that there was nothing of value to the men in the Met report. If justice is to be done, it is essential that the UK authorities do everything in their power to ensure that these men have a fair trial including disclosing all material that could be of relevance to the case, she said.

Full story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/men-accused-killing-british-tourists-thailand-met-report-zaw-lin-wai-phyo-miller-witheridge

-- The Guardian 2015-08-26

So International relations are more important than the lives of two quite probably innocent men then? Well at least we know their priorities.

What a spineless judge. Am once again ashamed to be British.

[StealthEnergiser]

PROBE OF BANGKOK BOMBING RECALLS BAD REPUTATION OF POLICE

BY GRANT PECK
ASSOCIATED PRESS

small excert from article

This year, police were accused of torturing two migrant workers from Myanmar into making false confessions to the murders of two British tourists on a resort island in the Gulf of Thailand. As in the bombing case, there is suspicion that the authorities simply are looking for a quick fix to ease tourists' worries.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_THAILAND_EXPLOSION_POLICE_WOES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Edited August 26, 2015 by StealthEnergiser

[cumgranosalum]

"breaking the confidentiality agreement with the Thai authorities would damage international cooperation."

i'd say that damage to Thailand's international standing will be even greater and many countries will be less inclined to cooperate when the rest of the world hears about this.

Edited August 26, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[boomerangutang]

Its ironic that the recent tragic events in Bangkok are almost a mirror image of the Koh Tao tragedy in terms of the investigation.

Pathetic, unprofessional, corrupt, ineptitude by the RTP.

A professional investigation would have quickly solved this case.

I also suggest the Chief of the RTP buy some quality CCTV enhancement software instead of investing his billions of baht in the stock market.

He clearly has lost his focus of his "proper" job.

Chief of Police Somyot who is overseeing the Erawan bombing investigation, is the same man who put himself in charge of the KT investigation at the early juncture when authorities dismissed the former prime suspects (and never looked at them again) ...and instead put all their focus on the B2. He's also scheduled to retire on the last day of the KT trial. He is to crime investigations what Lance Armstrong is to competitive bicycling doping scandals. If, in the future, he gets a notice to show up for a disciplinary inquiry about the KT screw-ups, no one should be surprised if he takes his hundreds of millions of baht and splits to a rich farang country. I hear St. Tropez is rather nice place to hang, for people with gobs of money.

[jacksam]

UK authorities have nothing to do with this case. They should never have been "invited" in the first place. If thai nationals where murdered in UK would the Thai authorities be welcome over there to have a squiz at the evidence

[Linky]

UK authorities have nothing to do with this case. They should never have been "invited" in the first place. If thai nationals where murdered in UK would the Thai authorities be welcome over there to have a squiz at the evidence

If they asked then yes. Why would they be refused? I can see no reason, in the interests of international police cooperation, as the judge states.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Linky

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[Just1Voice]

UK authorities have nothing to do with this case. They should never have been "invited" in the first place. If thai nationals where murdered in UK would the Thai authorities be welcome over there to have a squiz at the evidence

If thai nationals where murdered in UK would the Thai authorities be welcome over there to have a squiz at the evidence

Actually, yes, they would, if they showed an interest in the case.

[StealthEnergiser]

[Darkknight666]

"breaking the confidentiality agreement with the Thai authorities would damage international cooperation."

i'd say that damage to Thailand's international standing will be even greater and many countries will be less inclined to cooperate when the rest of the world hears about this.

Well, if U.K authorities pearl necklace the RTP who will catch all of the British criminals who flee to Thailand?

I can't see why they're withholding this report but say there is evidence from U.K that calls RTP's story into question they will provide.... I'm sure Loon will have some idea.

[Linky]

The rationale seems wrong. Who decides whether something is of value to the defense?

Correct. I know in personal injury cases in oz when defence request a doctor's records of the patient the doctor is usually reluctant to provide details he/she considers irrelevant to the injury of the proceedings.

But regardless they MUST provide the complete records as it is up to court to devide if something is relevant when it is tendered as evidence.

I see the same here. The UK judge will not know the tactics of the defence, he will not know what evidence the defence will offer. He then cannot dtermine what is and is not relevant.

The fair, open and just thing to do is provide all the requested evidence. The defence can then decide what THEY consider relevant. The Thai judge then rules on whether HE considers it relevant.

[springheeled jack]

let us not fight about this case slagging each other off because we have different views isn't a crime and doesn't merit this type of behaviour at the end of the day when all the evidence is presented we will have a result one way or the other,

[Transporter]

Best summary of the Koh Tao cockup with alternate and "official" scenarios, etc. I have ever read: http://thailandjustice.com/introduction-to-koh-tao-investigation/

Puts the ignorant official RTP story defenders into the corner they belong...

I'd advice all truth seekers to copy, paste and save the text for safekeeping because I think it might be deleted sooner or later - latest after the KT mafia headman called their office...

Thankyou for this post and link. It would seem all too often the initial Police officer dealing with a crime is replaced preventing the crime being successfully solved. I am starting to wonder why? I am the victim of a crime and the best Police officer on my case was transferred after a few days. Since then I have tried everything to have him reinstated but have been flatly refused despite him being posted within a short drive away.

Why would the police do that? I even offered to pay for his services but it was still NO!

One of the suspects is a known local drug dealer who seems beyond reprisal.

I would love to know the most likely reason for this?

[JLCrab]

JLC

There are people who say directly it was NS and they can't be a witness. I cannot post it because it's in Thai but I'll be happy to PM it to you

There are plenty of people who know what happened, even some claimed eye witnesses but, they're scared as well. I wonder if that's because of the Burmese mafia on Tao....

As I said "... no one has ever come forward ...".

[Just1Voice]

Best summary of the Koh Tao cockup with alternate and "official" scenarios, etc. I have ever read: http://thailandjustice.com/introduction-to-koh-tao-investigation/

Puts the ignorant official RTP story defenders into the corner they belong...

I'd advice all truth seekers to copy, paste and save the text for safekeeping because I think it might be deleted sooner or later - latest after the KT mafia headman called their office...

Thankyou for this post and link. It would seem all too often the initial Police officer dealing with a crime is replaced preventing the crime being successfully solved. I am starting to wonder why? I am the victim of a crime and the best Police officer on my case was transferred after a few days. Since then I have tried everything to have him reinstated but have been flatly refused despite him being posted within a short drive away.

Why would the police do that? I even offered to pay for his services but it was still NO!

One of the suspects is a known local drug dealer who seems beyond reprisal.

I would love to know the most likely reason for this?

I would love to know the most likely reason for this? = Money (bribes) and protection of the guilty. Well known in Thailand.

[hugh2121]

If that is the case and the report contains nothing of benefit to the defendants, why do the prosecution (who presumably have seen it) not introduce it as evidence?

Surely the defence are also entitled to see reports and evidence which the prosecution have seen. Maybe not in Thailand.

[smedly]

there may be a lot of evidence coming from the UK, I suspect that some of Davids and Hannahs friends will have since been interviewed and made statements about certain things that went on that night/morning throwing some light on what happened in AC bar and whether David and Hannah were connected in some way or not.

Lets not forget the last place both were seen alive was AC bar, any professional investigation would have and should have started there and yet we hear no mention of it by police or prosecution when presenting their case, that is a massive black hole right there,

Friends may have already told Thai police during interviews and made statements that have generally been ignored because they didn't fit with the agenda