KOH SAMUI, SURAT THANI — The Koh Samui Provincial Court is expected to decide on Friday whether to allow a re-examination of the forensic evidence in the trial of the two Myanmar nationals accused of murdering two British tourists on Koh Tao.
Lawyers representing Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun have requested the re-examination at the Justice Ministry's Central Institute of Forensic Science.
The forensic evidence in the case involving murdered Britons David Miller and Hannah Witheridge had been examined by the Office of Police Forensic Science. The autopsy was carried out by Police General Hospital before authorities sent the corpses back to the United Kingdom.
The defence team has questioned the reliability of the investigation and evidence used against the two Myanmar migrants.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court. Lawyers for the two Myanmar men accused of the Koh Tao murders expect it to make a decision on forensic evidence re-examination on Friday. (AFP photo)
Zaw Lin, 22, and Win Zaw Htun, 21 are have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Witheridge, 23, on Sept 15. The charges carry the maximum sentence of death.
The defence team said the court will rule on Friday on the request.
Somsak Nurod, the chief investigator of Phangan police station, appeared before the court to discuss the defence team's request, although he was not on the scheduled witness list on Thursday.
The work at Phangan police station covers Koh Tao in Phangan district in Surat Thani province.
The officer will reply in a letter on Friday about the evidence being kept by police at the police station.
But he told the court that some items were already taken during the forensic checking process. They included two Marlboro and an LM cigarette butts, a condom and some 300 cotton buds with DNA samples of the two defendants.
A shovel, sandals and flecks of sand soaked with blood remained at Phangan police station, he added.
Pol Lt Col Somsak said outside the court that "the DNA on the cigarettes is all finished".
"The DNA samples taken from the bodies are not my responsibility. They are in Bangkok," he added.