Thai Prosecutors Appeal in Slain Saudi “Blue Diamond” Case

[webfact]

Thai Prosecutors Appeal in Slain Saudi “Blue Diamond” Case

BANGKOK -Public prosecutors in Thailand have petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s acquittal of ex-police inspector-general Somkid Boonthanom and four other officers accused of kidnapping and killing a Saudi businessman 26 years ago.

They lodged the appeal on Tuesday after the director-general of the Department of Appellate Litigation agreed with a working panel overseeing the case that there were reasonable grounds to press for an appeal, Somnuek Siangkong, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said on Wednesday.

On May 3, the Appeal Court dismissed charges of abduction, murder and illegal detention against Pol Lt Gen Somkid, Pol Col Sorarak Jusanit, Pol Col Praphas Piyamongkol, Pol Lt Col Suradej Udomdee and Pol Sgt Maj Prasong Thongrung.

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/thai-prosecutors-appeal-in-slain-saudi-blue-diamond-case.html


-- Chiang Rai Times 2016-07-29

[Johpa]

Interesting timing of the resurrection of this aging scandal. Perhaps part of a very subtle campaign to influence current events in an age of uncertainty.

[clockman]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

[Carib]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

Do you really expect an answer?

[phantomfiddler]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

Edited July 29, 2016 by phantomfiddler

[ChrisY1]

Simply PR.....this appeal will go nowhere......!

[Bob12345]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

If you do some digging online you will find the most likely place where that thing ended up.

Needless to say it cannot be said out loud in Thailand if you enjoy the relative freedom you still have.

[thurien]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

If you do some digging online you will find the most likely place where that thing ended up

might be the precious thing is hidden away under a strawberry field in the outskirts of Munich / Germany

[AlQaholic]

Everyone knows where the Blue Diamond is, but nobody can tell.....

[Bangkok Barry]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

If I recall, the wife of a high-ranking policeman wore the diamond to a function after the fake had been 'returned' as the real deal. The arrogance of these people takes the breath away.

[tuanku]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

It is "hidden in plain sight"

[swerver]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

If I remember correctly, this blue diamond was part of the loot stolen by the Thai servant working for a Saudi Prince at the Palace in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

There also was a report that this Blue Diamond had been duplicated by the RTP and changed with the original in the loot in custody by the RTP with some inexpensive stone. sort of like Zircon.

Interesting how nearly twenty years later this case is still making its rounds in the Thai Courts. Good example how they can stretch the rubberband of justice.

[american12bthai]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

ask any thai.

[billd766]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

Try doing a little research and you may even find it on Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Diamond_Affair

Theft and recovery

In 1989, 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.^[2] 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 then managed to ship to his home in Lampang Province, Thailand.

A Royal Thai Police investigation by a team headed by Lieutenant-General Chalor Kerdthes led to Kriangkrai's arrest and the recovery of most of the stolen jewellery. Kriangkai was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he was released after three years as he cooperated with the police and had confessed.

Lieutenant-General Chalor's team flew to Saudi Arabia to return the stolen items. However, the Saudi Arabian authorities discovered that the blue diamond was missing and that about half of the gems returned were fake.^[3][4]

Mohammad al-Ruwaili, a Saudi Arabian businessman close to the Saudi royal family, travelled to Bangkok to investigate on his own. He went missing on 12 February 1990 and is presumed to have been murdered.^[5] Several days prior to his disappearance, three officials from the Saudi Embassy had been shot dead in Bangkok.^[6] The murders remain unsolved,^[7] and no connection to the jewelry theft has been established, despite the Saudi government's view "...that the Thai government had not done enough to resolve the mystery surrounding Al-Ruwaili's assassination and that of three other Saudi diplomats."^[6]

^{There is more where that came from.}

[tifino]

one best not ever ever post an image of the wearer, as Google Images would become off-limits to the populace.

but, it's good the case hasn't died yet, as there have been too many deaths from this,

- to be balanced instead by new prison sentences of upper level perps

Edited July 29, 2016 by tifino

[off road pat]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

....The wife of one of the Policemen implicated in the case was photographed wearing it at a party...!

In case people forgot about the case I posted this article.

Best regards.

https://news.vice.com/article/assassinations-curses-and-stolen-jewels-the-blue-diamond-affair-is-still-darkening-saudi-thai-relations

Edited July 29, 2016 by off road pat

[katana]

How does anyone know that the famous Blue Diamond ever existed ? Maybe it was a paste job right from the beginning, a complete fake like many of the goods in this country

The diamond was actually Saudi Arabian, not Thai and stolen in Saudi Arabia.

[nausea]

I can't see any country but Thailand accepting massive financial losses (we're not talking chickenfeed here, we're talking hundreds of billions of baht), national institutions undermined by rumour, and internationl standing damaged, all because of the actions of a few rogue policemen. Still it's their call, I'm only a guest here.

[TimRichards2k]

Thais I heard talk about this are adamant they dont know where it is [and nothing to do with policemen, or the like, suggested above] as 'to know' is likely to put their lives or safety at risk! What I dont understand is why the 'keeper' would want to keep hold of such a famous stolen item.

[elgordo38]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

Sorry I do not have an anuswer for you.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

I am waiting for JJ Abrams to make a movie of this story!

[clockman]

One thing i can assure you, The Saudi are not bothered about the diamond. But they will never forget the shooting of there diplomats! I know them, having spent 20 years working there.

[Thingamabob]

Everyone knows where the blue diamond is.

[tifino]

Everyone knows where the blue diamond is.

...and the policemen nabbed were the patsies this time, as the real perps are much-much higher up the rope (noose) ladder

[poohy]

There's lots of pretty things sporting tiny T shirts and driving flashy cars in Munich at the moment

[beautifulthailand99]

Everything is for reason particularly in the Thai 'justice system - you can almost hear the sands shifting uner the feet of the age old narrative. We are approaching the event horizon where all things maybe possible and one will no longer need to 'wait' at the pelican crosing.

[Wilsonandson]

There is not one photograph of this blue diamond on the internet. Only the story of its theft. Spent hours looking for anything on this diamond and drawn a blank.

[EyesWideOpen]

This story, is stranger than fiction! Like where is the blue diamond?

Do you really expect an answer?

Expats who have been in Thailand a long time know where it is.

However to state that fact would cost them 15 years in jail.... I love

Thailand, hands down one of the weirdest countries on Earth.

When the head of police for the entire country is having people

killed, you know your country is out of control.......

Anyway if you have time, lots of stuff on Google about this crime.

It is only a matter of time until a movie is made about it, then

everything will come out.

[tifino]

On 7/30/2016 at 3:36 AM, EyesWideOpen said:

Expats who have been in Thailand a long time know where it is.

However to state that fact would cost them 15 years in jail.... I love

Thailand, hands down one of the weirdest countries on Earth.

When the head of police for the entire country is having people

killed, you know your country is out of control.......

Anyway if you have time, lots of stuff on Google about this crime.

It is only a matter of time until a movie is made about it, then

everything will come out.

LeonardoDCap did 'Blood Diamond',

and as he dresses down quite well - as a servant-looking commoner in another Movie,

so...  he could be well suited to do a 'blue' movie just as well

 

except he looks too-falang

Edited August 1, 2016 by tifino