DSI offers Bt1m for info in each of seven cases
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The Department of Special Investigation has put a Bt1-million bounty on each of the seven unsolved cases in connection with the 2010 political strife.
“The money will be paid to those who were present at the scene and can provide information leading to the arrest of killers,” DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said yesterday.
He added that the DSI just wanted tip-offs and would not put informers on the witness stand or involve them in the trial proceedings at any stage.
The cases include the killing of Colonel Romklao Thuwatham and five soldiers during crowd-control operations on Rajdamnoen Avenue in April 2010 and the killing of Maj General Khattiya “Seh Daeng” Sawasdipol on Silom Road in May 2010. Also included are deaths of foreign journalists Hiroyuki Muramoto and Fabio Polenghi; the M-79 attack against Pol Sgt Major Witthaya Phromsamlee outside the U-Chuliang building and the gun attack on Pol Lance Corporal Kannupat Lertchanpen on Silom Road. The seventh case in which information is being sought is the fatal shooting of conscripted soldier Narong Sara.
In a related development, retired acting national police chief Patheep Tanprasert delivered his statement to the DSI outlining his role at the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, which was set up to rein in the red-shirt rally.
Separately, commenting on the presence of “men in black”, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said he believed the issue should be more about the wrongdoers and not men in black.
“I don’t know about these men in black, but regardless of their existence, the government at the time had no right to disperse crowds, which ended up with 98 people being killed,” he said.
He said that Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva tried to revive the issue of the men in black because he was desperate now that arrest was imminent for his links to the crackdown.
He added that the Democrats, true to form, were undermining their own popularity by campaigning against the men in black.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai spokesman Promphong Nopparit filed a complaint at Lumpini police station charging Abhisit and four other Democrats with slander.
This case stems from the Democrat rally held at Lumpini Park on Saturday in which Abhisit claimed that there were links between former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the men in black.
Promphong said Thaksin was in no way involved in the matter and that Abhisit was trying to incite hatred by smearing him. He also named Suthep Thaugsuban, Sirichok Sopha, Korn Chatikavanij and Sathit Pitutecha as accomplices.
