BANGKOK: A Thai gunman was sentenced to life in prison on Friday (Oct 3) for the murder of a Cambodian opposition politician in Bangkok, a judge said.
French national Lim Kimya, a former opposition lawmaker in Cambodia, was shot dead on Jan 7 by Ekkalak Paenoi as the ex-MP visited Bangkok with his wife.
Cambodian opposition figures have accused the country’s powerful former leader Hun Sen of ordering the shooting, and Lim Kimya’s widow called this week for a full accounting of who was behind it.
“The actions of the first defendant caused harm to the plaintiff,” the Bangkok Criminal Court judge said on Friday. “Since he confessed, the court reduced the sentence to life imprisonment.”
Ekkalak was arrested in neighbouring Cambodia a day after the shooting, and confessed to committing the murder in a livestream video.
The trial began just three days ago with an examination of witnesses, including Lim Kimya’s widow, Anne-Marie Lim.
“Anne-Marie is probably satisfied with today’s verdict, but she is still questioning who ordered the crime,” her lawyer Nadhthasiri Bergman told reporters outside the court on Friday.
“She wants authorities to get to the bottom of it.”
“We know the suspects are in Cambodia, and (the Thai government) could help push the extradition process to bring them to justice,” Bergman added.
Source: CNA
