No 'men-in-black' in Centralworld fire: DSI
Play
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday there were no "men in black" linked to the fire at CentralWorld in the aftermath of the 2010 red-shirt protests.
DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said the case involved charges of theft and arson – not terrorism – and that the DSI has identified nine suspects.
The Bangkok South Criminal Court sentenced six suspects to six months jail each last December for violating the Emergency Act. A seventh suspect was sentenced to three years and six months after the court found he committed larceny.
Two other suspects, both juveniles, are awaiting a decision by the Central Juvenile and Family Court.
Tarit said seven arrest warrants had been issued in the arson case. One of the suspects was among the six convicted of violating the Emergency Act and two others were the juveniles. A fourth suspect has been identified as Saichon Paebua, who is already under arrest. Three others were unidentified men whose pictures had been posted.
The arson suspects had also been identified by the mall’s security guards.
The DSI’s witness hearings for the arson case have been scheduled for next month, he said.
Tarit said the CentralWorld arson case was separate from a terrorism case involving a group of armed men wearing black military gear during the protest aftermath.
If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.
