THAILAND: COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY IN CHIANG RAI

the Thai Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence handed to a Chiang Rai-based man for drug trading to life imprisonment, citing his possession of inside information on narcotics dealings, which would be vital in the police campaign against drugs, as the reason for the leniency. The judges also upheld a related Criminal Court verdict to acquit a woman and her adult daughter who worked as maids at the house of Anek Sutirat, 51, saying there was not enough evidence to implicate them as suspects or accomplices of Anek. A Bt5 million fine imposed on Anek by the Criminal Court remained unchanged. The third defendant, who owns an orange plantation in Chiang Rai, was arrested in December 2004 in a sting operation in Bangkok's Prawet district . A total of 1,300,000 amphetamine tablets were seized by narcotics police from the suspect. Anek decided to appeal to the Supreme Court.