Key witness located in Cambodia
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Thailand has informed Saudi Arabia about the discovery of a key witness in the 1990 murder of a Saudi businessman who was connected to the oil-rich kingdom's royalty, a source said.
Foreign Minister Surapong Towichuk-chaikul recently informed Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires to Thailand that the witness could be located in Cambodia, which was expected to help the case progress, according to the source.
Saudi businessman Muhammad al-Ruwaily disappeared in February 1990 and later was believed to be murdered. His murder angered Saudi Arabia and was a factor that led to its decision to sever diplomatic ties with Thailand.
Five policemen were arrested in connection with al-Ruwaily’s murder. They were accused of abducting him as part of their investigation into separate murders of Saudi diplomats in 1989.
The source close to Surapong, who asked not to be named, said that the witness is a Thai national who had left Thailand for Cambodia.
According to the source, the foreign minister was trying to promote Thai-Saudi relations and expedite progress in the case in order to make Saudi Arabia happy.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra plans to visit Saudi Arabia next year, the source added.
