Seven red shirts convicted
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The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday convicted seven red shirts for violating the emergency rule but acquitted them of rioting at the Ratchaprasong Intersection in connection with last year's political disturbances.
The court handed down six-month jail terms to each defendant and an extra three-year term to one of them for |theft.
The court found that the prosecution had failed to demonstrate how the seven were involved in the rioting even though they were arrested while the vandalism was in progress.
Because all seven have been held in custody since last May, six have already served beyond the penalty and will be entitled to immediate release.
The seven are Pinit Channarong, Wisit Kaewla, Komsan Sudchanham, Arthit Baosuwan, Pornchai Lohitdee, Yuthachai Srinoy and Jiam Thongma.
Police rounded up the seven at the Ratchaprasong rally site in Bangkok after the crowd-dispersal operation on May 19 last year to end the months-long red-shirt occupation. The prosecution commenced trial last August.
The seven were charged with breaching the state of emergency, rioting, unauthorised possession of firearms, theft and firing guns into the CentralWorld shopping mall.
Police said the seven were caught red-handed during the vandalism and rioting.
The court ruled that the prosecution omitted to outline the specific offence committed by each defendant. The prosecutors stated in general that the seven had been armed to commit vandalism and robbery but failed to show how the armed robbery unfolded.
Even though the prosecution presented the M16 assault rifles and ammunition seized as evidence, there was no proof linking the weapons to the defendants.
The evidence only pointed to the seven’s involvement in violating the emergency rule, the court added.
The seven were sentenced to one-year imprisonment before the term was reduced in half because of their confessions.
Komsan was convicted of theft because of stolen mobile phones found in his possession.
The case against the seven involves the rioting and vandalism at CentralWorld following the repossession of the rally site. A separate trial is in progress regarding the arson attack on CentralWorld by two other suspects.
