Police to question Suphoth further
Police will next week summon Transport Ministry permanent secretary Suphoth Sublom for further questioning about the burglary of his Bangkok home earlier this month, particularly about exactly how much money was stolen from him.
The November 11 break-in, in which the suspects reportedly got away with some Bt200 million in cash, resulted in the arrest of nine suspects and the seizure of some Bt18 million cash. Three suspects remain at large: alleged gang leader Weerasak Chualee, Pongsak Namwong and Kamnuan Meknoi. Metropolitan Police Bureau commander Winai Thongsong said yesterday that local police had contacted their Laotian counterparts to help locate Weerasak, who is reportedly hiding in that country.
Winai dismissed news reports that Weerasak had contacted police to arrange a surrender. The officer said he had sent police to check Weerasak’s home in Kanchanaburi upon learning that the suspect had stopped there, but they found no cash.
After an initial delay to allow police to determine how much money had been seized from the suspects, Winai said Suphoth would be summoned next week and asked to supply additional information – including the precise amount of money stolen – as the amount police seized from suspects did not match the amount Suphoth initially told police he had lost.
Winai said Metropolitan Police Colonel Banleusak Khlib-ngern had applied for a court order to search nine locations in which suspect Prapan Ruangkrua, who earlier turned himself in, might have hidden stolen cash. Seven locations were in Pathum Thani, one was in Nakhon Nayok and one was Prapan’s former workplace at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
