Inconclusive inquest not affect murder charges against Abhisit : DSI

The inconclusive inquest into the death of a man killed during the 2010 political unrest will not affect murder charges against the previous government, the chief of the Department of Special Investigation said Thursday.

Tarit Pengdit said the inquest into the case of Boonmee Rermsuk would not affect earlier cases, for which former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban are now facing murder charges.

Boonmee was the fifth victim killed during the 2010 redshirt protests and for whom the Criminal Court is conducting inquests in an attempt to find out who killed each of them.

In the four previous inquests, the court ruled that the victims were killed by troops' bullets but in the case of Boonmee, the court said there was not enough evidence to establish who fired the fatal shot.

The DSI has filed murder charges against Abhisit and Suthep in the four previous cases on the grounds that they were responsible for the establishment and controlling the Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

"Since the inquest is inconclusive, the DSI will not file charges against Abhisit and Suthep in this case," Tarit said.

"But this case will not affect other cases because the court has made a ruling for each specific case."

Tarit said that since the court had ruled there was not enough evidence to establish who shot Boonmee, the DSI would look for more information.

If further evidence pointed to Boonmee being shot by one of the "men in black" or "unknown armed fighters", the DSI would not charge the redshirt leaders because there was no evidence showing from whom they had received orders.