Thailand News: Former PM could face 700 attempted murder charges

– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: The chief of the Department of Special Investigation will today hold a meeting of DSI and other police investigators to speed up work on more than 700 attempted-murder cases against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban.

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said he would hold the meeting at 9am to tell investigators to speed up the checking of documents in the cases, which involve people who were shot and injured during the political violence of April and May 2010.

Tarit said the investigators would later review the cases with public prosecutors before filing attempted-murder charges against Abhisit and Suthep.

He added that investigators had been told to separate the cases of about 1,500 people who were injured into those with severe injuries and those with minor injuries. Abhisit and Suthep would be charged with attempted murder in the cases of severe injury, and would face charges of physical assault in the remaining cases.

A well-informed DSI source said that about 700 people were severely injured in the 2010 political violence, so Abhisit and Suthep would face a similar number of attempted-murder charges.

The source said Tarit also ordered investigators to divide the injury cases into four groups based on dates and locations.

The first group involves people injured at the Khok Wua Intersection on April 10, 2010. The second, third and fourth groups cover people injured on May 13-19, 2010, at various locations including Ratchaprasong, Bon Kai, Din Daeng and Phya Thai.

It was not immediately clear which groups covered which sets of intersections.

Tarit said the DSI might wait until the next parliamentary session expires on April 19 before charging Abhisit and Suthep in the attempted-murder cases.

— Phuket Gazette Editors

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