Scapegoating must not be tolerated

Porntip Rojanasuwan, renowned head of the Central Forensic Institute, testified to the Samui Provincial Court that the DNA on the suspected murder weapon did not match that of the two defendants. 

This directly counters the findings of the police forensic unit, but this should not be surprising. The CFI is ISO 17025 certified, which covers this very complex work, while the cop unit is not. Also, a police lab has a conflict of interest in cases involving the cops. In addition, the UK forensic and autopsy reports were “not consistent” with findings from Thai police. 

The other key piece of evidence against the defendants is their alleged “confessions”. But Thai Criminal Code S134/4 states that for a statement to be admissible, the accused must have been informed beforehand that they had the right to legal counsel. The cops’ complete silence on this key point speaks volumes. 

The Samui Provincial Court is to be praised for ordering prosecutors to send all remaining evidence for forensic retesting. The defendants may be guilty as charged. But, either way, justice must be seen to be done. Scapegoating harms not only the individuals involved but also our country as a whole, and cannot be tolerated. 

Burin Kantabutra