Bangkok: The appeals court upheld the acquittal of "Lhong Joo Somchai" on charges of organizing and operating a gambling den and money laundering. The court determined that the evidence was insufficient, thereby granting the benefit of the doubt to the defendants.
According to Thai News Agency, the verdict was read at 9:30 AM on March 16th in courtroom 903 of the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road. The Special Cases Division 1 of the Public Prosecutor's Office had filed charges against Mr. Somchai Chutikitdecha, also known as "Long Joo Somchai," a prominent figure in the eastern region, along with Ms. Jutamas Wongniyom, Ms. Uraiwan Wongniyom, and Mr. Yutthanakorn Malichuen, as defendants 1-4. They were charged under the Gambling Act of 1935, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999, and the Emergency Decree of 2005.
The incidents were reported to have occurred between July 2020 and November 2020 in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province; Choeng Noen Subdistrict, Mueang District, Rayong Province; and other related locations. The defendants were accused of organizing illegal gambling activities and laundering money by transferring funds through multiple commercial bank accounts to disguise the source of the assets.
All defendants denied the charges. The Criminal Court previously found the evidence presented by the plaintiff to be lacking in sufficient weight, leading to the dismissal of the case. The public prosecutor subsequently filed an appeal requesting punishment for the defendants.
On the day of the verdict, defendants 1-3 were present in court, supported by close relatives. Defendant 4 is serving a sentence for a separate case. The Court of Appeal, upon reviewing the evidence, found that the prosecution's witnesses failed to confirm the presence of defendants 1, 2, and 4 at the gambling den during the alleged incidents, nor did they implicate them in organizing the activities.
The prosecution's evidence on money laundering was also found insufficient. Specifically, for the third defendant, the court noted that the evidence showed only a single money transfer into his account, which did not align with typical criminal behavior of multiple large transactions. Additionally, the evidence indicated numerous transfers to other individuals who were not included as defendants.
The Court of Appeal concluded that the prosecution's evidence was questionable and lacked the required weight to convict the defendants. Consequently, the court affirmed the initial judgment, dismissing the prosecution's appeal. Following the verdict, Mr. Somchai and his family left the court without making any statements.