Surprise in Thailand: Rodolfo Sancho refuses to testify before the judge to protect his son

Key day in Thailand this Tuesday. Has declared Daniel Sanchoaccused of murdering and dismembering Edwin Arrieta on August 2 on the island of Koh Panghan. The Spaniard has arrived at court, for the first time, with his face uncovered and in a van with untinted windows. For four hours he has answered questions from his defense and has appeared calm, coherent and prepared. It has been an ‘appetizer’ for what awaits him this Wednesday: the interrogation by the Prosecutor’s Office, which asks for the death penalty for him. A key and very delicate moment in which he will be accompanied by his father, a decision that he has forced to make. Rodolfo Sancho to renounce his own statement.

“Everything is ready”. This is how Rodolfo Sancho responded when asked about his statement before the judge, which they carefully designed in the Koh Samui prison for almost three hours last week. However, a last-minute change has made him take a step back and withdraw from the witness list. The reason? The judge does not allow some witnesses to witness the testimony of others so that there is no contamination between them and Rodolfo would testify immediately after his son, so he could not be present during his interrogation by the prosecution: “The judge himself has asked him about it and has made him reconsider. We understand that all that Rodolfo can tell are things that his son has told him and that better than his son, no one is going to tell them.”has said Carmen Balfagón, one of Sancho’s Spanish lawyers, on Antena 3: “We have seen that there is no need and the court wants to end the trial on the scheduled dates.”

He also explained it Marcos García Montes from Telecinco: “The procedure is live, once the trial begins we believe that Rodolfo’s testimony is important for the life of his son, but now we decide that Rodolfo did not testify because his testimony would not contribute anything relevant, it would be better for him to be with his son to feel protected. “We have renounced his statement and in principle Daniel is testifying, which will be long.”