The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has announced that public prosecutors have rejected a police investigation report regarding the Siam Paragon mass shooting incident involving a 14-year-old boy. According to the OAG’s deputy spokesman, Naken Thongpraiwan, the prosecutors found that the police had started interrogating the suspect and filed charges against him before obtaining a psychiatric evaluation from the Galya Rajanagarindra Institute, where the boy was undergoing treatment.
Naken stated that the police investigators did not follow the Criminal Procedure Code by questioning the young suspect before receiving the psychiatric evaluation report, which was crucial in assessing the suspect’s mental health and his ability to undergo a court trial. As a result, the prosecutors have returned the report to the police to ensure that the investigative process is conducted in accordance with the law.
Naken added that, in accordance with the law, police interrogations should be carried out when the suspect is mentally sound and capable of standing trial. Once this condition is met, the investigators can proceed with the questioning and resubmit the investigation report to the prosecutors before the 20-year statute of limitations for the case expires.
The mass shooting at the luxury mall in Bangkok took place on October 3, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to four others. Among the fatalities were a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar worker.
The Pathumwan Police Station, responsible for investigating the case, filed five charges against the suspect, including premeditated murder, attempted murder, shooting in a public place, possession of unauthorized firearms, and carrying firearms in a public place without a permit.
On December 20, the police submitted their investigation report to the public prosecutors. However, it was discovered that the charges had been filed and the suspect had been questioned by the police on November 3, before the Galya Rajanagarindra Institute had completed its evaluation of the suspect’s mental health and ability to stand trial.
The institute’s evaluation report, submitted to the police on November 21, stated that the teenager had no understanding of the charges against him and lacked the ability to control his emotions and behavior. As a result, the report concluded that he was not capable of standing trial in court.
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