Bangkok: The Criminal Court has dismissed the case against former Pol. Lt. Col. Upakit Pajariyangkun, who was accused of being involved in a drug money laundering conspiracy. The court stated that the plaintiff’s evidence did not prove that the defendant had committed any crime.

According to Thai News Agency, the court reviewed the charges against Mr. Upakit, who was indicted by the Attorney General on multiple offenses. These included colluding to launder money, being part of a transnational crime organization, and involvement in serious crimes related to narcotics. The case stemmed from accusations linking Mr. Upakit to drug and money laundering operations with Mr. Minlat, a Burmese national arrested in Thailand in 2022.

The Attorney General had ordered an investigation, appointing Deputy Attorney General Mr. Watcharin Phanurat and the Office of Investigation Attorneys to handle the case. Despite the serious nature of the accusations, Mr. Upakit was granted temporary release during the trial, with bail set at 10,000,000 baht, under the condition that he could not leave the country without court permission.

The court found no evidence that Mr. Upakit had ordered the transfer of money from the account under investigation to pay for electricity at the Mae Sai Provincial Electricity Authority. Additionally, there was no clear evidence indicating who used the account in question. Conversations between Mr. Upakit and Mr. Minlat were deemed to be about mundane matters, lacking any mention of drugs.

The court concluded that the plaintiff’s evidence was insufficient to prove that Mr. Upakit was involved in money laundering or drug trafficking activities, or that he was part of a transnational crime organization. Consequently, the court dismissed the case against Mr. Upakit Pajariyangkun.