PATTANI: Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for the double bombing of a Big C Supercenter in Pattani in May of last year that left 61 people injured.
The Pattani provincial court yesterday handed down the death sentence against Suhaimee Sama-ae and Sama-ae Mama, but then commuted it to life because they confessed to the charges, according to Abdulkohar Arawaeputae, chairman of the Pattani Muslim Lawyers Foundation.
Suhaimee and Sama-ae were convicted of involvement in the two bomb blasts at Big C Supercenter in Muang district, Pattani, on May 9, 2017. There were no fatalities, but 61 people were injured.
Most of the injured were parents and their children, who were shopping for the new school term.
Relatives of the two men have asked lawyers from the foundation to appeal the judgement.
Maj Gen Jatuporn Klamprasut, commander of the Pattani task force, said yesterday the men gave useful information to police during the interrogation.
This led investigators to issue more arrest warrants, raising the number of suspects wanted for the bombing to nine.
The first bomb went off about 2.10pm near the food centre inside the Big C building. The second followed shortly after outside the building, after shoppers and staff had left the premises in panic.
The second bomb was in a bag left in a pickup truck parked near the main entrance.
The suspects stole the pickup used for the bomb from its owner Nuson Khachornkham, police said. Nuson was found dead in a channel in Pattani's Nong Chik district three days after the bombing. He was a resident of Muang district in neighbouring Yala province.
The Big C Supercenter in Pattani was targeted for a bomb attack for the first time on Aug 1, 2005 when a home-made bomb hidden in a potted plant was detonated by a mobile phone in the shopping centre's car park.
The second attack took place on the night of March 11, 2012 when an incendiary device caused a fire on shelves containing napkins.
