Nakhon Phanom police have brought charges against seven people. They are accused of arranging false witnesses for a retrial of the convicted former teacher Jomsap Saenmuangkhot.
Ms Jomsap, now 55, was found guilty of recklessly driving a pickup truck that knocked over a bicycle, killing 75-year-old Lua Pobamrung, in Nakhon Phanom in March 2005. She was sentenced to three years and two months in prison by the Supreme Court in 2013.
Following a royal pardon in April 2015, she decided to seek a retrial for wrongful conviction. However, on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed her petition. They said that there was a lack of evidence. The court also claimed that a network "hired scapegoats" as part of the petition.
Pol Maj Gen Suwichan Yankittikul, Nakhon Phanom provincial police commissioner, said they were investigating a seven people that they believed were involved in arranging the false witnesses.
The suspects are Suriya Nualcharoen, a 54-year-old teacher and friend of Ms Jomsap; Sap Wapee, 61, who claimed to be the actual driver in the hit-and-run case; Mr Sap's 59-year-old wife Jan; Mr Sap's relatives, Boonthuang Wapee, 63, Lert Wapee, 66, and Run Thonkaew, 60; and finally Thassanee Harnphayak, 61, who told police and the court that she saw a man get out of the truck and look at the cyclist before driving away.
They face charges of giving false statements to officers. They could be jailed for up to three years, fined up to 60,000 baht, or both, according to Pol Maj Gen Suwichan.
Police are also investigating whether Ms Jomsap was involved.
