From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Bangkok Post Jan 26: Key witnesses get protection on Saudi cases
Date: 26 Jan 93 06:03:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: ipied.9301251603.AA15488
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KEY witnesses in the three Saudi cases have been given police 
protection for fear of attacks by "influential" figures connected 
with the case.
 
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior Aree Wong-araya said 
yesterday he had ordered police to step up security for individual 
witnesses as investigations close in on influential people 
suspected of involvement in the incidents.
 
He said he had ordered police to protect Kriangkrai Techamong, the 
Thai national who stole jewellery from a Saudi palace before 
returning with it to Thailand.
 
Sources close to his family said Mr Kriangkrai had left his house 
in Lampang about a week ago for Mae Hong Son in fear of his life 
after it was reported the case might be revived.
 
Mr Kriangkrai was released from prison on August 12, last year 
after being sentenced for the theft of jewellery worth about 500 
million baht from the palace of Prince Faisal Fahad Abdulaziz al 
Saud in Saudi Arabia in 1989.  
 
The two other cases which have returned to the limelight are the 
murder of four Saudi diplomats in 1989 and 1990 and the abduction 
of a Saudi businessman in 1990.
 
Mr Aree, who chairs a committee screening investigations into the 
three cases, said the panel had ordered police to renew all 
investigations and find additional witnesses and evidence.
 
He said the committee's responsibilities include studying the 
police investigation reports and overseeing the arrest of everyone 
involved in the crimes.
 
Mr Aree said the panel had ordered police to launch a new search 
for the killers of the Saudi embassy staff and any others 
involved.
 
He also said the committee had ordered police to renew 
investigations into the suspect originally arrested for the 
shootings but later acquitted in court.
 
Suchart Halabee was acquitted by the Criminal Court for the murder 
of three Saudi embassy staff in 1990.
 
His brother, Suvech, who was also suspected of involvement in the 
murder has since been missing without trace.
 
The panel also asked police to find the abductors/killers of 
missing Saudi businessman Mohammed al-Ruwaili, the police station 
to which the kidnapping was reported and to locate any witnesses 
and document evidence.
 
Mr Aree said police must find out who was involved in the 
embezzlement of the jewellery items after they were seized from Mr 
Kriangkrai even if they are senior officials.
 
He said he could not say now whether police could get enough 
evidence to convict any high-level officials suspected of 
involvement in the disappearance of the jewellery or whether they 
could recover the missing valuables.
 
The deputy permanent secretary said police found it difficult 
concluding the jewellery theft as the incident took place three 
years ago.
 
He said police would do their best and expected them to make some 
progress.
 
Mr Aree said the charging of any senior officials involved in the 
case now depended on whether witnesses were prepared to testify.
 
He said he did not want to say any more as he was worried he might 
place the witnesses in danger.
 
Meanwhile, the Secretary General to the Prime Minister, Tawat 
Wichaidit, said the Government would not hide any information or 
evidence related to the three cases from  the public.
 
Dr Tawat said the Government had received evidence into the 
jewellery theft to add to the findings of the past three years.
 
The evidence has already been forwarded to the Police Department.
 
The evidence reportedly held for almost three years by the PM's 
Office Minister from the time of former Prime Minister Chatichai 
Choonhavan includes Prince Faisal's letter to Gen Chatichai, a 
videotape cassette and a photo album depicting details of the 
stolen jewellery.
 
A police source said the videotape cassette was still with the 
PM's Office because the police want experts to examine the 
cassette first before receiving it.
 
Dr Tawat said he was not sure whether the Government had already 
gathered all the evidence in the jewellery case.
 
But he stressed that the Government has to prove to the Saudi 
government that it was sincere in solving the three cases to help 
improve relations between the two countries.
 
Thailand has been losing tens of billions of baht annually after 
Saudi Arabia tightened its issue of visas to Thai workers.
 
Dr Tawat said Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai had ordered Deputy 
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan to follow up the cases and work 
closely with him.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai