"That's not me."

25 กรกฎาคม 2557

Like many brothers, Chuchart and Somchai Sitthipolthep look very much alike. That's a problem when one brother commits a crime and another is arrested for it.

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Mistaken identity: Chuchart Sitthipolthep shows a copy of his brother's photo at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD). He says he was wrongly arrested by officers from the Sawaengha police station in Ang Thong for illegal possession of drugs. APICHIT JINAKUL

False arrest victim wants case to end

Chuchart Sitthipolthep has been acquitted twice of drug charges relating to a crime he didn't commit.
Prosecutors, however, seem unwilling to let go and are planning an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The problem is that Mr Chuchart, 41, looks very much like the man involved in the illegal possession of 570 methamphetamine pills in 2006.

He should. The actual culprit, according to Mr Chuchart, was his brother Somchai, 44.

Yesterday, Achariya Ruangrathana, president of The Club to Assist Victims of Crimes took Mr Chuchart, 41, a construction worker, before reporters at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD).

Mr Achariya said Mr Chuchart has been mistakenly prosecuted and does not want the prosecutors to appeal the case any more.

He has already spent nine months remanded in prison during the investigation into the drug charge after Ang Thong police arrested him.

Mr Chuchart was subsequently brought before the lower court, which acquitted him. The case then reached the Appeals Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling.

Mr Somchai, meanwhile, has not been charged with the drug possession.

Mr Achariya said his client accused police of failure to check the brother’s identities before seeking his prosecution. Police pushed ahead to prosecute the brother they believed was the culprit and filed the case to the Criminal Court and the Appeals Court.

Mr Achariya said Mr Chuchart wants the case to end now as it would take about five years in the Supreme Court before a decision is reached.

"It's a waste of time," Mr Achariya said.

Adapted from a story by Wassayos Ngamkham in today's Bangkok Post