The Department of Special Investigation is expected to take another three months to conclude the investigation into the murder of Karen human rights defender Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen, DSI director-general Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang said today (Wednesday).
He told a news conference that some people have raised doubts about the reliability of the microcondial DNA extraction process, used by forensic experts from the Central Forensic Science Institute when taking DNA samples from the two pieces of bone were retrieved from a river bed in Kaeng Krachan national park and shown to match the DNA sample from Billy’s mother.
He stressed that the Central Foreign Science Institute attaches importance to the DNA tests to make sure that the bones belong to Billy, adding that DSI officials checked the background of Billy‘s family and discovered that all Billy’s siblings are still alive.
Paisit said that the doubts were intended to discredit the forensic evidence, adding that, when Billy’s murder case is being considered by the court, forensic and circumstantial evidence will be key in proving the guilt of the perpetrators.
He said the DSI will wait for more evidence from the forensic experts regarding the testing of about 20 additional bones retrieved from the river bed in the vicinity of a 200-litre oil drum.
Meanwhile, an informed DSI source said that, after the DSI announced its breakthrough in the investigation of Billy’s disappearance, a group of people reportedly scattered human ashes into the river near the hanging bridge following a local cremation.
The source said that the staged ritual was intended to discredit the DSI by showing that it is a normal practice to scatter human remains into the river in the park.
