Court upholds acquittal of surgeons in organ-removal case
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The Supreme Court Wednesday upheld the acquittal of the former director of Samut Prakan's Wachiraprakarn Hospital, along with two surgeons and a former manager, who had been found not guilty in removing the kidneys and liver of two accident victims in 19
The court ruled that the organ-removing surgery was carried out after the accident victims' brains were damaged to such a degree that they were unable to breathe.
Both were therefore medically dead, according to the verdict read Wednesday at Bangkok's Ratchadapisek Criminal Court.
The parents of public prosecutor and accident victim Ladda Deeyotha – Charoen and Noodaeng – had sued former director Dr Siroj Kanchanapanjapol, surgeon Dr Weeradech Lertdamronglak, manager Nanthawit Thongchai and surgeon Wiwat Thirapanich for murder and document forgery.
The lawsuit alleged that between February 24 and 26, 1997, the defendants forged an organ donation document for Charoen and Ladda's husband Somkiat Tanchanachai to sign before the surgeons removed her kidneys and liver.
