The Thai Criminal Court sentenced to death Phan Phripwai...

The Thai Criminal Court sentenced to death Phan Phripwai and Phongsri Kulasithi, female, for trading 250,000 methamphetamine tablets. According to the prosecution, Mr. Phripwai, a 49 year-old teacher, Mr. Phaitoon Boonkaeow, a 39 year-old farmer, and Mrs. Kulasithi had sold the tablets to undercover police officers from the Office Narcotics Control Board posing as customers on 17 March 2001.While Mr. Phaitoon apparently confessed to selling the drugs, the other two defendants have repeatedly stressed their innocence, claiming that they were simply in the area buying land, and that the drugs had been planted on them by the police. Although all three defendants were initially sentenced to death, this was commuted to 50 years imprisonment for Mr. Phaitoon, as his confession had been beneficial to the proceedings.