Thai court to charge JI suspects

Thai court to charge JI suspects

THAILAND: Thailand will lay formal charges on Tuesday against four Thais and a Singaporean suspected of belonging to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) regional network blamed for the Bali bombings, chief prosecutor Nipon Kwanyo said.

He said on Monday the five would be taken to court to be charged with planning attacks on foreign embassies and beaches popular with western tourists.

Three Thais -- a religious teacher, his son and a doctor -- were arrested in southern Thailand in June. The Singaporean, named as Arifin bin Ali, was detained in Bangkok on May 16 and sent to Singapore the next day.

The fourth Thai, who police accuse of being the group's bomb maker, turned himself in and denies the charges.

The Singapore government said Arifin, also known as John Wong Ah Hung, was believed to be the leader of a group of JI operatives who had also planned to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi airport in the city state. --Reuters