The Public Prosecution Service of Samui (Southern Thailand) submitted a report to the court this Wednesday accusing the Spaniard Daniel Sancho of premeditated murder and hiding the body of the Colombian Edwin Arrieta, the same accusations that the police in their investigation into the matter.
The report was handed over to the Samui District Court today, as confirmed to EFE by Public Prosecution sources, which had until October 29 to complete it.
The Samui District Court assured EFE that the Public Prosecution Service maintains the same charges against Sancho of premeditated murder and concealment of the body previously established by the police.
The charges will be read to Sancho by the Public Prosecution Service on Thursday during a closed hearing at the court on the island of Samui, at which the Spaniard will be present.
The suspect must respond if he considers himself innocent or guilty of the allegations made.
This is the second time Sancho has appeared in court in person since he was taken into custody at Samui prison on August 7, having done so via video conference on other occasions.
In the event that Sancho has not hired a private lawyer, the judge will ex officio assign him a lawyer tomorrow, according to what they told EFE from the court.
The 29-year-old Spaniard has been without a lawyer in Thailand – where he can only be defended by a Thai lawyer – since September 7, after Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, father of the suspect, renounced the services of Thai lawyer Anan. “differences in defense.”
Once the prosecutor’s report is delivered, the court must assign a judge to the case and set the calendar for the trial, the start date of which is currently unknown.
Sancho has been in pre-trial detention in Samui Prison since August 7, two days before he was arrested on the neighboring island of Phangan after confessing to the murder and mutilation of the Colombian surgeon, whose remains were scattered across the island and the sea.
Thailand’s Penal Code provides for the death penalty for crimes such as first-degree murder, but if handed down it is usually later commuted to life imprisonment.
On the other hand, the suspect’s confession and cooperation can contribute to significantly reducing the sentence, as the judge himself reminded Sancho on August 7, when he was brought to trial.
The police submitted their report to the Public Prosecution Service on October 3, after a two-month investigation into the alleged crime, which took place in Phangan on August 2.
As for the cause of death of the 44-year-old Colombian, the police claimed in its report that it was a cut on the neck, police sources told EFE, although the final result of the autopsy has not yet been revealed. this time.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
