Ex-cop jailed 38 years for firing RPG rocket at Defence

The court ruled that public prosecutors had strong evidence and convincing witnesses to prove that Pol Lance Corporal Banthit Sitthithoom, 44, had fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Defence Ministry on the night of March 20 last year.

The court convicted Banthit on five counts and sentenced him to a total of 38-year imprisonment.

Banthit used to be a police officer at Wang Nam Yen district station.

Public prosecutors charged that Banthit and an accomplice, who is still on the run, fired an RPG rocket at the Defence Ministry, injuring Sak Harnsongkram, and damaging a telephone cable belonging to TOT.

Public prosecutors said Banthit and his accomplice launched the attack to try to force the government at that time to dissolve the House and that his action caused terror and confusion among members of the public. The incident also added to the terror attacks of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship.

Prosecutors told the court that police seized an RPG launcher, three M67 grenades, a machine gun and 48 rounds ammunition for the machine gun from Banthit.

In its verdict, the court said public prosecutors managed to present witnesses who had met and talked to the defendant outside the Defence Ministry shortly before the attack. The witnesses remembered the defendant’s face very well because the area was well-lit.

The court said another witness remembered the defendant rushing out of his Toyota pickup truck, which was used in the attack, after hitting something, breaking the truck’s left side mirror.

Investigators found Banthit’s prints on the abandoned pickup truck and traces of his DNA on a jacket left inside the truck.

The court believes the truck was used in the bomb attack because it was seen on security camera’s footage going towards the spot where the attack occurred and flames briefly illuminated the truck.

Investigators also found traces of gunpowder the truck giving rise to the belief that the rocket was launched from the truck.

The court handed down a two-year jail term on Banthit for using forged official documents, sentenced him to 20 years in jail for launching the bomb attack, five years in jail for having explosives in his possession, five years for having a grenade launcher in his possession, five years for having a gun in his possession and another one year for carrying illegal firearms in public place.