Saudi Chargé d'Affaires disappointed with Thai court’s verdict on murder case

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) - Saudi Chargé d'Affaires to Thailand Abdalelah Alsheaiby has expressed his disappointment after Bangkok's Criminal Court acquited five Thai police officers charged with abduction and murder of a Saudi Arabian businessman, Mohammad al-Ruwaili, due to insufficient evidence on Monday morning. Accompanied by relatives of the murdered Saudi businessman, a Saudi committee and a lawyer, Saudi Chargé d'Affaires showed his disappointment at a press conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok on Monday afternoon, in which members of Thai and foreign news agencies took part. The Saudi side also expressed its suspicion over a judge change during the case hearing, which might have caused disadvantage to the plaintiff, announcing that the case will be appealed. The Saudi Chargé d'Affaires noted that the Thai court's verdict would not create a further crack to fragile Thai-Saudi Arabian relationship, but any diplomatic decision would be made by the Saudi government. The case, which occurred in February 1990, has been prolonged for over two decades and has caused sour diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the murder of Saudi Arabian diplomats and the theft of gems and jewelry from the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, all of which happened approximately simultaneously. (TNA)