El español Artur Segarra pierde la última apelación para evitar la pena de muerte en Tailandia

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El Tribunal Supremo del país asiático ratifica la condena por el asesinato de David Bernat en Bangkok

Se acaban las oportunidades para Artur Segarra. El Tribunal Supremo de Tailandia ha rechazado este miércoles la última apelación del español, de 40 años, condenado a muerte en 2016 por el asesinato de su compatriota, el consultor David Bernat, que entonces tenía 41. Segarra fue hallado culpable de los delitos de asesinato premeditado, ocultación de cadáver, detención ilegal y robo. El cuerpo de la víctima fue desmembrado en al menos seis partes y arrojado en un río de Bangkok (Tailandia).

Con el pelo rapado y semblante serio, Segarra se presentó este miércoles en la corte de la capital tailandesa para escuchar el fallo, que ratificó la sentencia al considerar que las pruebas presentadas por la policía son suficientes para demostrar su culpabilidad. Ahora la única opción de que Segarra, catalán como Bernat, evite la pena de muerte es que la Casa Real tailandesa le conceda un perdón real, lo que su abogado aseguró que requerirán, según el diario Bangkok Post. El plazo para solicitarla es hasta el 20 de enero.

De concedérsele, se le conmutaría la pena capital por la cadena perpetua, en cuyo supuesto el acusado podría eventualmente pedir su extradición y ser trasladado a una cárcel española. El catalán, que siempre ha negado las acusaciones, aseguró a la agencia Efe que la decisión de la corte suprema “no es una sorpresa”. También denunció que el suyo “no ha sido un juicio justo” por la falta de testigos directos del asesinato.

No obstante, el tribunal tailandés consideró suficientes las pruebas circunstanciales y de ADN presentadas por la policía, así como las imágenes y audios de cámaras de seguridad y el testimonio de varios testigos, entre ellos una empleada del hogar y una ex pareja de Segarra.

"Él cometió el asesinato de manera premeditada con la intención de robar el dinero a la víctima", ha apuntado el juez al leer la sentencia. Las investigaciones policiales sostienen que Bernat fue secuestrado y extorsionado por Segarra con el objetivo de lograr acceso a sus cuentas bancarias en Singapur. El condenado fue grabado por cámaras de seguridad retirando cantidades de dinero de varios cajeros automáticos de Bangkok y los alrededores días después de que Bernat desapareciera.

Según la policía, Segarra secuestró a Bernat el 19 de enero de 2016 y le retuvo durante siete días en el apartamento que tenía alquilado en Bangkok, donde se produjo el asesinato. Las autoridades tailandesas encontraron rastros de sangre que pertenecían a Bernat en el piso de Segarra, además de grabaciones de cámaras de seguridad donde aparecen los dos entrando en el bloque de apartamentos, que la víctima nunca abandonó con vida. Un equipo forense determinó que Bernat falleció por asfixia entre el 25 y el 27 de enero de ese año.

Segarra, conocido como “el descuartizador de Bangkok” después de que trascendiera que el cuerpo de la víctima fue desmembrado en al menos seis partes y depositado en varios tramos del río Chao Phraya, que atraviesa la capital tailandesa, huyó y fue detenido en Sihanoukville (Camboya) el 7 de febrero de 2016. Las autoridades camboyanas lo entregaron entonces a las tailandesas, que le enviaron a prisión incondicional.

En abril de 2017, un tribunal de primera instancia aceptó las pruebas presentadas por la policía y condenó al español a la pena de muerte. Un tribunal de apelación mantuvo, en julio de 2018, la pena capital para Segarra al encontrar "infundadas" las alegaciones del convicto, que negó los cargos, y volvió a considerar válidas las pruebas y testimonios recabados por la policía.

Source: elpais.com, Paloma Almoguera, November 20, 2019

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