Senate panel urges for change of chief investigator
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The Senate human rights panel Thursday called on the Royal Thai Police to change the chief investigator in the case of murder of businessman Akeyuth Anchanbutr.
Somchai Sawaengkarn, the chairman of Senate committee on human rights, liberty and consumes protection, said the chief investigator, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrajang, had conflicts with Akeyuth so he should be removed from the case.
Somchai noted that Kamronwit and Akeyuth had sued each other and thus Kamronwit should not be in charge of the investigation.
Somchai also called on the police to allow nonpartisan agencies, like the Law Society of Thailand and the National Human Rights Commission to join the investigation.
Somchai said it was premature for police to conclude that Akeyuth was killed for his Bt5 million in cash because his attackers did not take valuables in his house. Somchai said the valuables were worth more than Bt5 million and could have been taken away much easier than cashing the cheques.
Somchai said police had not yet released details about the house in Lat Krabang area where Akeyuth was hidden.
Somchai said he believed the murder was more complicated than the robbery theory that police had said.
He said the Senate panel discussed the murder and agreed in principle to summon persons involved to testify about the case.
During the discussion, the Senate panel agreed that the government should provide measures for better protecting the people. The senators said although Akeyuth was disliked by many, he should have not been murdered.
