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Cybercrime Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Hacking Court’s Website

Authorities arrested a man in a northeastern province for allegedly hacking the Constitutional Court website.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau met with officials from the Constitutional Court, the Special Investigation Department and the company running the website to discuss the cyber attack. After obtaining an arrest warrant from the Ubon Ratchathani provincial court, cybercrime police searched a house in tambon Saen Suk, Warinchamrab district, on Saturday.

Law enforcement agents arrested a 33-year-old man, later identified as Wachira.

Mr. Wachira, which surname was withheld, reportedly confessed to hacking the court’s website. Digital forensics seized his computer and other devices he allegedly used when committing the crime.

He faces two charges, including one under Sections 5 and 7 from the computer crime law. If found guilty, Mr. Wachira could be punished with six months to two years in prison and/or a fine up to 40,000 baht.

The suspect may also be prosecuted under Section 9 from the same law for illegitimately changing other’s computer data, which carries sentences of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.

The Constitutional Court’s website has been inaccessible since Friday.

A hacker renamed its home page as “Kangaroo Court” and replaced its content with a YouTube video of Guillotine, a song by US hip-hop band Death Grips, a day after the Constitutional Court issued a ruling against public discussions over the monarchy’s reform on Wednesday.

Although the government has warned protesters not to defy its lastest ruling, several groups have gatherered in recent days to draw attention to the issue.

On Saturday afternoon, demonstrators held a flash mob near Bangkok’s Art & Culture Center, calling for bail for “political prisoners.”

Also, various groups organized a “Support Democracy” rally, which is set to be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

On Friday, four protesters were arrested and fined 2,000 bath for violating the Cleanliness Act after attaching sings with messages against the controversial law to Sirivannavari Siam Paragon’s door. The signs read “Repeal 112” and “Reform does not equal overthrow.”