Cosio case sequel in Thai charge

Press, 16 July 1983, Page 3

Cosio case sequel in Thai charge

NZPA . Bangkok The former Interior Minister of Thailand, Prathuang Kiratibutr, has been charged with malfeasance in office in connection with the arrest and release of Matthew Cosio, of New Zealand, suspected of trafficking heroin, in Chiang Mai in 1979, the “Bangkok Post” has reported. Prathuang, also a former director-general of the prosecution department, faced a second malfeasance charge concerning the release of another drug sus-

pect, Lieutenant Chalermkiat Phuripatiparn, who was convicted in 1977, but subsequently released on an appeal, the newspaper said. Cosio was arrested with another New Zealander, Andrea Resetar, after Thai police found 700 grams of heroin in their Chiang Mai hotel room. Prathuang is charged with having ordered illegally the Chiang Mai public prosecutor to drop charges against Cosio because of Cosio’s alleged poor health. Resetar was

subsequently convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison, a sentence she is still serving in a Bangkok prison.

The court had accepted the case against Prathuang and set the first hearing for August 25, the “Bangkok Post” said.

On the second charge, Prathuang faces an accusation that he ordered the public prosecutor to withdraw an appeal to the Supreme Court in the case of Leiutenant Chalermkiat, after the latter’s acquittal by the Appeals' Court.