Thai man to sue police after wrongful arrest for attempted murder
A young man from Nakhon Si Thammarat is vowing to sue the police after spending five harrowing nights behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.
Phuris Saitong was released from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Correctional Institution for Young Offenders on Wednesday, April 16, after police admitted they had arrested the wrong man for an attempted murder. The moment he walked free, Phuris embraced his mother and knelt at his uncle’s feet in gratitude and anguish.
“I have suffered greatly and been through so much pain and stress,” Phuris said. “I was charged with a crime I didn’t commit, and I want justice for what I’ve been through.”
The 23 year old was arrested on April 11 for an April 8 shooting in Pho Sadet subdistrict, which left two teenagers injured. Despite having a strong alibi and no physical evidence linking him to the crime, he was jailed for nearly a week.
“I was interrogated and coerced into admitting involvement in the shooting,” he told reporters. “I denied everything, asserting I had no knowledge of the incident and was not involved.”
Phuris said police ignored his alibi, failed to search for the actual gunman’s motorcycle or clothing, and never compared physical descriptions.
“There was no investigation. They fingerprinted me and threw me in jail.”
His uncle, Boonserm Thongsong, chairperson of the Ton Wa Community, took his fight to the media.
“My nephew is being treated like a scapegoat. We had to go to great lengths to obtain CCTV footage from the municipality to prove his innocence.”
The CCTV from the crime scene captured a much smaller, thinner man, clearly not Phuris, who weighs over 130kg and stands 180cm tall.
His wife, Sudarat Sarapan, added, “I have clear proof that he was with me at home. I even recorded a video showing him on his phone at the exact time. He can’t have committed the crime.”
Only after days of public pressure did local police review the CCTV footage. On April 16, they conceded Phuris was innocent. Mueang District Police Chief, Police Colonel Kittichai Krainara, formally requested his release, reported Bangkok Post.
Phuris now plans legal action against the officers involved in his wrongful detention.
“They must be held accountable.”
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