At that stage, the trail went dead. Santhi and Chalor would not reveal what they knew, strengthening widespread suspicions that the gems had ended up in the hands of very powerful figures who would go to any lengths to prevent the truth from getting out. Chalor remains behind bars, where he has reportedly formed a band and recorded a cover version of Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock”.
Relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia remained strained, despite periodic efforts to resolve the row. Last year Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation suddenly announced it had enough evidence to charge “an Arab” called Abu Ali with the murder of one of the Saudi diplomats, and rather bafflingly also claimed that the blue diamond may never have existed. There are millions of people who call themselves Abu Ali in the Middle East – it is not even a real name, but rather a way to refer to a man who has named his son Ali. The DSI’s supposed breakthrough did nothing to placate the Saudis.
This year, with the 20-year statute of limitations about to expire, there appeared to be a genuine breakthrough – the Office of the Attorney General indicted a senior policeman, Lieutenant-General Somkid Boonthanom, chief of police for Thailand’s Region 5 which includes Chiang Mai, for the murder of Ruwaili. Four other policemen were also charged. All five are awaiting trial.
The indictments appeared to be a small step towards improved Saudi-Thai relations. Until late last month when Thailand managed to score a spectacular diplomatic own goal with the announcement that Somkid had been promoted to the post of assistant national police chief.
Not surprisingly, the Saudi embassy reacted with fury to Somkid’s promotion:
The embassy is deeply concerned to learn that the high ranking officer accused in this case was further promoted in a manner that may affect the course [of] legal proceedings against the defendants…
In light of these grave concerns, all current efforts and attempts by both countries to solve the pending issues directly affecting restoring bilateral relations may be seriously jeopardized.
Thailand’s government must – surely – have anticipated the storm but appeared strikingly at sea. Abhisit, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya quickly assured the Thai media that the issue would not be another diplomatic disaster and that tensions would cool once everything was properly explained to the Saudis. National Police Chief General Wichean Potphosree tried to smooth things over by making the bizarre argument that Somkid’s promotion was in fact an effective demotion, the Nation newspaper reported:
The police chief said he also would tell the Saudi diplomat that if it were any consolation, Somkid’s promotion had actually resulted in his having a lesser mandate, since a commissioner in charge of a police region is seen as more powerful than an assistant national police chief.
Suthep, meanwhile, said he would send a letter to the Saudis which would clarify the matter and defuse the row. Kasit met Saudi charge d’affaires Nabil Ashri and announced he had explained everything and no letter was necessary. The Saudis remained incandescent. Abhisit said the foreign ministry would provide a written explanation that would ease the concerns of the Saudis but that this was taking time because it had to be painstakingly translated: “The slow translation process is aimed at ensuring maximum accuracy of the message. Any misinterpretation would only result in greater complications.”
It seems the translation must have been too difficult to complete. Last week Abhisit himself met charge d’affaires Ashri – because (according to the Bangkok Post) “it would be more efficient than explaining the matter via documents”. The article goes on to say that: “According to Mr Abhisit, the Saudi envoy seemed to have insufficient information about the matter.”
Ashri was having none of this. On September 19 he issued an apoplectic statement lambasting Thai officials:
Mr Nabil Ashri expressed his astonishment to the news published about the said meeting with H.E. the Prime Minister of Thailand which portrayed the Chargé d’Affairs as “ill-informed” and according to H.E. Mr. Abhisit, that he seemed to have “insufficient information about the matter” of the promotion of Pol. Lt. Gen. Somkid Boonthanom.
Mr Nabil Ashri reiterated that his prime duty representing his government here is to follow up the progress of solving the pending cases of Saudi Arabia with the Thai Government, stating that in-fact he has obtained beforehand all relevant information related to the baffling promotion of one of the defendants in the case of the disappearance and murder of the Saudi Businessman. The Chargé d’Affairs was quoted as saying “I’m well-informed not ill-informed”. According to Mr Nabil Ashri Thai officials whom he had met so far, have each time presented a different version or referred to a different law trying to explain the