Appeals Court frees Somkid charged in 1990 Saudi businessman murder



BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court today acquitted former police inspector-general Lt-Gen Somkid Boonthanom and four other police officers of the abduction and eventual murder of Saudi businessman Mohamed al-Ruwaili back in 1990, with reasons of weak testimonies and no new direct evidence to ascertain all the accused had committee the crimes.

The ruling today was attended by representatives of the Saudi embassy and family of the Saudi victim.

The Appeals Court reasoned that the plaintiff’s witnesses could only provide circumstantial evidence same as what had been provided in the first court but none of them could support the truth of an assertion that the five defendants had abducted the businessman.

The court then acqitted all the five officers of the charges.

Pol Lt Gen Somkid thanked the court for the justice given to him after suffering from the accusations throughout the past seven years.

He insisted to bring those who filed charges against him in the Court of Justices.

Pol Lt-Gen Somkid along with four other officers identified as Pol Col Sorarak Jusanit, Pol Col Praphas Piyamongkol, Pol Lt-Col Suradej Udomdee and Pol Sgt-Maj Prasong Thongrun were indicted by the public prosecutors and the Department of Special Investigation with the kidnapping and murder of the Saudi businessman Mohamed Al-Ruwaili in 1990.

Al-Ruwaili was close to the Saudi royal family and was in Bangkok to investigate jewelry stolen from the palace of a Saudi prince by a Thai worker, Kriangkrai Techamong.

He was abducted and went missing without any traces since 1990.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/161952


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-03

Surprise, surprise...

Surprise, surprise...

+1

Saudi ain't gonna be happy about this, to say the least.

Failure to deal with it has cost Thailand tens of billions of USD: exclusion of Thai workers, lost foreign investment, no foreign aid...quite aside from the human cost. All for a cache of jewels, the centrepiece of which will never be seen in public again. The Saudis are never going to let this go.

I believe that Thailand and SA have an upcoming futbol match?

The Saudis are never going to let this go.

Good. Too many people getting away with sheeit, hope the Saudis nail them.

Another nail in the coffin. Business is business.

Another nail in the coffin. Business is business.

So that means still no direct flights, damn it.

Edited May 3, 201610 yr by aussiandrew

And still no trace of the blue diamond..

This story worth a movie scrnario for sure. And it wpuld be banned in Thailand

Failure to deal with it has cost Thailand tens of billions of USD: exclusion of Thai workers, lost foreign investment, no foreign aid...quite aside from the human cost. All for a cache of jewels, the centrepiece of which will never be seen in public again. The Saudis are never going to let this go.

Who has the blue diamond? I have researched this but to no avail. I know blue diamonds are rare especially large flawless ones. Does anyone know any history of the Saudi blue diamond, what mine it was found in? How much is it worth? Pictures of it. I can find none of this information on the internet.

Saudi Arabia vs Thailand. SA is probably ahead on human rights abuses, sponsorship of international terrorism and repression of women. Thailand edges it on corruption in the justice system, greed in high places and criminality in the police force. An unlovely pair who are just right for each other.

A speedy conclusion, twenty six years.

OK he finally came into enough money to pay off the court and cops.You will proberly find out shortly that said evidence will be lost and the witnesses on a shopping spree.

Another nail in the coffin. Business is business.

Another nail in the coffin. Business is business.

So that means still no direct flights, damn it.

So many nails have been put in the Thai coffin since I joined ThaiVisa, there is no wood left

i simply left