Court refuses to issue new warrant for arson suspect
Tells police to summons alleged offender as the man 'has a job and a permanent address'
A MILITARY court has refused to issue a new arrest warrant for a man |previously arrested by police and later released on charges relating to an arson attack during the Mother’s Day bombings.
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has to date refused to rule out the possibility that the Revolutionary Front for Democracy might have been responsible for the violence.
“We have to investigate further to determine whether this group is involved or not,” he said.
An ongoing police investigation has found no connection.
In Narathiwat, the location of the arson attack, the military court yesterday rejected the request for an arrest warrant for Saknarin Karuhat on the grounds that police could simply summons him as he had shown no intention to flee.
“He has a permanent address and a secure job. There is no sign he will go on the run,” the court said.
The warrant was denied even though Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahamankul submitted the request himself. He is chief investigator of the coordinated attacks that rocked seven provinces on August 10 and 12.
Saknarin was arrested soon after the attacks and a civilian court approved an arrest warrant for him last week based on a police report that he might have set a superstore on fire in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
However, on August 18, police suddenly released Saknarin without giving a clear explanation.
Yesterday, Srivara submitted a request to the military court at the 41st Military Circle in Nakhon Si Thammarat asking it to approve an arrest warrant for Saknarin. The request was rejected.
Police have accused Saknarin of having explosives in his possession, planting bombs and staging an arson attack.
Srivara said: “The court’s refusal to approve an arrest warrant now does not mean he is cleared of the charges.
“We will gather more evidence to back up our request for his arrest warrant next time.”
Asked whether the Revolutionary Front for Democracy was related to bomb and arson attacks in the seven provinces, Srivara said there was “no evidence of any connection”.
He refused to confirm that the people behind the attacks may have been foreigners although he said witnesses heard them speaking a non-Thai |language.
“We have to investigate the case further because suspects could have tried to hide their identity by speaking a foreign language,” Srivara said.
He said he would be going to Songkhla following reports that at least two suspects had been arrested in Hat Yai.
