Suphat to face murder charges : police
Police are now getting ready to press murder charges against Dr Suphat Laohawattana, who was dismissed from the Police General Hospital in the wake of grave allegations.
Suphat was initially accused of murdering Samart Noomjui and his wife Orasa Kerdsap, but had only been charged with minor offences such as hiring illegal migrant workers. To date, laboratory test results have confirmed that the three rkeletons retrieved from Suphat’s farm in Phetchaburi did not belong to Samart and Orasa.
“But now, at the very least, we have solid evidence against the suspect in relation to the murder of a Myanmar worker,” Provincial Police Region 7 deputy commander Colonel Krissana Sapdej yesterday, explaining that one of the three skeletons was identified as that of a Myanmar farmhand.
Krissana was speaking after Suphat and his son, Ake, called on the national police chief to assign a new investigation team to this case.
Ake expressed dissatisfaction with Tha Mai Ruak Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Pichai Pokpong, who led a team to scour Suphat’s farm for the 12th time on Tuesday.
News reports citing various sources, including Pichai, suggest that Suphat might indeed have killed Samart and Orasa.
Samart’s father Sawang Noomjui lodged a police complaint against Suphat, and in response the investigation team has repeatedly checked Suphat’s farm in search of the alleged victims’ bodies.
“I hope the national police chief will consider assigning a new investigation team to the cases against my father,” Ake said.
He added that he and his family believed that the investigation team did not treat Suphat fairly. “It has provided one-sided information to the media,” Ake said.
He was speaking at the National Police Office in Bangkok, where he had shown up yesterday to submit a written request.
Suphat, who is locked up in Phetchaburi Prison, said in a letter that he faced an arrest warrant despite a lack of solid evidence against him.
“At the time the arrest warrant was issued, I was still working at the Police General Hospital. I also ran my own clinic. Police did not send a summons to my registered address, though,” Suphat complained.
In his letter, he also said he wanted a new investigation team assigned to his case.
Pol Lt-Colonel Chaowalitpong Fuangprayoon accepted the written request from Ake on the national police chief’s behalf.
