BANGKOK, 10 July 2015 – The Royal Thai Police chief has clarified that the DNA samples in the Koh Tao murder case had been stored at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, quelling allegations that the evidence was lost during investigation.
The Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Somyot Pumpunmuang, addressed a misunderstanding about the DNA samples in the Koh Tao murder case, giving an assurance that the evidence was not lost.
He cited the Provincial Police Region 8 Commissioner, stating that all collected DNA samples from the date of the incident had been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine by investigators, before being examined by the Central Scientific Crime Detection Division.
The examination results of the DNA samples have been used to compile forensic evidence for the case’s court proceedings.
Regarding the investigator’s statement to the court claiming that the samples had not been stored, the Police Chief explained that it is not the investigator’s task to store the evidence, as only the examination results were required during the court procession. Lawyers can request access to the examination results directly through the court. Once the court accepts the request, a command will be issued to the police to forward the examination results to the lawyer.
He also advised that evidence apart from the DNA results, such as the surrounding witnesses and other items found at the crime scene, will also be utilized in the court proceedings in this case.
