THAILAND. TWO DRUG SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO DEATH, THREE OTHERS HAVE SENTENCE COMMUTED

the Thai Appeals Court sentenced two drug suspects, earlier acquitted by the Criminal Court, to death and withheld the death sentence on another three suspects.
Suspects Somporn Apiradeepumi, 32, Thanu Manachaipak, 47, Pongphan Pirom, 42, Pongpipat Sattayapitak, 52, and Wattanasin Sattayapitak, 24, had been indicted by the Criminal Court on September 20, 2001 on drug charges. The prosecution alleged that Somporn and Thanu met police posing as heroin buyers in Wang Thong Lang in July 2001. When Pongphan delivered the heroin, he was arrested along with Somporn and Thanu. The Criminal Court sentenced Somporn, Thanu and Pongphan to death and acquitted Pongpipat and his son Wattanasin. The Appeals Court withheld the lower court's death sentence on Ms Somporn, Thanu and Pongphan, but in a reverse of the lower court's decision, handed down the death sentence on Pongpipat and Wattanasin.