Bangkok: Prosecutors are preparing to summon six witnesses regarding the leaked audio clip of a conversation between Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Samdech Hun Sen. They expect to submit the findings to the Attorney General for a decision this August. Police have confirmed they possess evidence to prosecute the individual responsible for posting the clip, with four administrators of the relevant Facebook page identified.
According to Thai News Agency, the first meeting between the Attorney General and the Cyber Police focused on examining the audio clip. The discussion, which lasted more than an hour, concluded with a decision to question six witnesses related to the audio. These witnesses include Mr. Somkid Chuakong, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, who is the complainant; several Facebook witnesses; neutral expert witnesses; and forensic police.
The process of summoning the Prime Minister for questioning has not yet commenced. Initial steps involve questioning the petitioner and related witnesses to determine if a crime has been committed. The release of the audio clip has reportedly led to incitement and division among Thais, with potential violations under Section 116. The investigation is also focusing on incidents along the border and information from Facebook regarding the involvement of Hun Sen in the posting of the audio clip. The Cyber Police assert that they can verify these details and must determine if Hun Sen's actions violated Thai criminal law.
The questioning of the six witnesses is expected to conclude by next week, but additional witnesses may be summoned if necessary. A legal opinion will be submitted to the Attorney General to decide on the potential indictment by August. The case is not expected to face delays.
Should a crime be established, the Criminal Court will issue an arrest warrant, which will be forwarded to INTERPOL to track and arrest the suspect for prosecution. The audio clip's mention of the Commander of Army Region 2 falls under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, and prosecutors will not intervene.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Sirawat Deepo, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division 1, confirmed that the police have evidence identifying the individual who posted the clip on Facebook. While the specifics remain confidential, the investigation revealed that four administrators of the page responsible for the post were in Cambodia at the time. The audio clip may have been shared through a chat app rather than directly on Facebook. However, the investigation will prioritize Facebook due to the nature of the complaint.
If the accused claims the involvement of a fake Facebook account, they are entitled to this defense. Nonetheless, the police remain confident in their evidence clearly identifying those responsible for the post and any related criminal activity.