Prosecutors to delay indictments of suspects in Thailand’s Tangmo case

Prosecutors are delaying the indictment of the 6 suspects facing charges in the now infamous drowning of Thai actress Nida Patcharaveerapong, or ‘Tangmo’, until the end of June. Tangmo’s body was found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river in February after she had been on a boat trip with 5 of the suspects.

The details the suspects provided on how Tangmo died have been highly disputed and questioned, to say the least. Last month, police chief Lt. Gen. Jiraphat Phumphichit announced that police had ruled out murder. Instead, they ambiguously concluded that the actress’ death was caused by the “recklessness” of someone on the boat, but did not identify which suspect was to blame. In other words, it was an accident.

Following a month-long investigation, police charged the 5, as well as one other suspect who allegedly coached them, with various offences. These include recklessness leading to death, lying to police and concealing evidence. The 5 suspects who were on the boat face charges of negligence causing death to another person, the most serious charge in the case.

The prosecutor in charge of the case said that the case file and her recommendations have been sent to the director-general of the Region 1 prosecutor’s office for a final decision. One of the suspects, Nida’s manager Idsarin “Gatick” Juthasuksawat, told the press she is not worried about the indictment being delayed, because it’s normal.

Tangmo’s suspicious death made headlines across Thailand, and in March, her fans rallied for justice in front of Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok. Many claim the investigation into her death is not transparent.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World