Thai Organ Selling Doctors Charged With Murder of Patients by Phairath Khampha 30 October 2000 Prosecutors Charge Doctors with Murder of Patients Prosecutors in Thailand on October 4, 2000 charged two doctors and a former hospital manager with purposely letting two patients die to remove their kidneys to sell to wealthy patients. It would be Thailand's first case of medical murder to go to court, said Thadaphand Angkinand, head of the criminal division of the state attorney's office. The three men also were charged with issuing medical documents falsely certifying that the victims were brain dead, said Thadaphand, the prosecutor. He refused to give details of how the suspects are supposed to have caused the patients' death. Newspaper reports said that they failed to provide proper treatment and falsified medical records to convince relatives to donate the kidneys of the two patients. Other patients, although not named in this charge, received similar treatment at the hands of doctors at the hospital. Drs. Sirot Karnjanaprasertpol and Weeradech Lertdamronglak, and former manager Nonthawit Thongchai understandably denied any wrongdoing. They were freed on $71,400 bail each. If convicted, they could face the death penalty. Sirot's lawyer, Somsak Toruksa, refused comment. The crimes were committed at the Vachiraprakarn Hospital in Bangkok in 1997. Police arrested the men after a relative of one victim told the media earlier in 2000. Police conducted lengthy investigations. "This is Thailand's first case in which doctors are charged with murdering their patients so that they could sell the victims' organs. We have to be very careful. Many medical experts have been called in to advise us," Thadaphand said. Thailand's Medical Council -- a medical ethics board -- had already revoked or suspended the licenses of several doctors at the hospital after finding they had illegally traded in human organs, which is banned in Thailand. No case for murder against doctors, says prosecution In a confusing although not unusual Thai style turnaround which most Thais believe was brought about because prosecutors were offered huge bribes, murder charges against the Vachiraprakarn Hospital doctors who took body organs for transplant would be dropped, a senior prosecutor said. Suddenly, the evidence is inadequate, Thadapan Angkinant, head the Criminal Litigation Department, said on October 4. Police suddenly supposedly could not substantiate charges against Wiwat Thirapanitch, one of four suspects. Police still wanted three others charged with colluding to murder patients so as to remove their internal organs for transplants, and falsifying documents for the purpose of legalising their use. Mr Thadapan said not all of them faced both charges but declined to go into detail. This is a Thai euphemism to mean that negotioations regardingthe size of the bribe were sitll taking place and if large enough there still was a chance the charges could be dropped. The national police chief would be asked for an opinion on the case as he, too, would have a take in the final offering. If he held a contrary view the case would be considered by the attorney-general, whose opinion was considered final. The suspects were scheduled to hear the charges on November 8, Mr Thadapan said.