The Narathiwat Provincial Court has granted seven defendants in the Tak Bai case a deadline until midnight on October 25, 2024, to surrender before the statute of limitations expires. If any defendant voluntarily surrenders or is apprehended, their testimony will be heard as per procedure on October 28, 2024.
On October 16, 2024, it was reported that on October 15, 2024, at 9:00 AM, a judge along with a panel from the Narathiwat Provincial Court heard the case concerning the defendants. After two hours, none of the seven defendants appeared in court, and no arrests had been made, preventing the court from proceeding with the case. The court set a new hearing for October 28, 2024, emphasizing that defendants could voluntarily surrender or be apprehended before the statute of limitations of 20 years expires at midnight on October 25, 2024. If any one of them presents themselves within this time, proceedings may start on October 28.
The court clarified that the October 28 date will be dedicated to discussing the case, including verdicts, before the statute of limitations ends. If no defendants have surrendered or been apprehended by then, the case will be dismissed.
The Narathiwat Court also issued a warrant for defendant General Phisarn Watthanawongkeeree on October 1, 2024, after confirming through the House of Representatives that there was no parliamentary immunity during its session. The court explained that since the defendant did not appear as required on September 12, 2024, and attended a House session instead, the court suspected he was evading justice.
During this court session, relatives acted as the plaintiffs, and observers, including journalists, were allowed to attend for transparency due to the case’s significance. Furthermore, Mr. Ramadan Panjor, a party-list MP, was permitted to observe the proceedings.
Attorney Ratchada Manurat said this is the last chance for defendants to either surrender or contest the charges, highlighting the urgent need for justice. If no defendant appears on October 28, the case will be formally dismissed.
The prosecution requested that the court summon a total of four investigation files from the Nong Chik Police Station, which had previously been sent to the prosecutor but were not submitted to the court.
Mr. Muhammad Sawawi Useng, the deceased’s brother, expressed dissatisfaction and fear regarding the transparency of the judicial process, given that no defendants have been apprehended despite the warrants issued. He stated that there is a growing uncertainty about achieving justice after the statute of limitations, urging authorities to clarify and uphold the justice process.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.
