Lawyer and family demand further investigation

In a letter to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Khamronwit Thoopkrajang, Suwat Apaipak questioned the theft motive that the police have settled for.
To date, Akeyuth’s chauffeur Santiparb Pengduang and three alleged accomplices have confessed to robbing and killing the businessman. They claim there were no other masterminds.
But in a letter to Khamronwit, Suwat questioned the suspects’ motive, saying that if they really wanted to rob Akeyuth, why did they choose to drop his valuables into a river? He also asked the police to find these valuables in order to shed light on the case.
Among other things, Suwat said Akeyuth’s relatives wanted the police to retrieve his titanium eyeglasses, a gold necklace worth Bt200,000 and a Buddha amulet worth Bt20 million.
Suwat also called on the police to retrieve the handcuffs that were allegedly used to restrain Akeyuth and missing shirt buttons, saying these clues might help make the motive clearer.
Police yesterday led volunteers to comb the area where Akeyuth was said to have briefly escaped from the van before being recaptured by the suspects.
The lawyer also wants police to check the phone records of Santiparb and the other suspects both before and after the killing to find out who they had been in touch with.
In the letter, Suwat also called on the police to find the hard disk for the security camera allegedly stolen from the victim’s home. Plus, relatives want Akeyuth’s clothes to be retrieved, in the hope they may shed some light on the mystery surrounding his death.
Suwat said Akeyuth’s family was willing to postpone cremation of the body if another autopsy was needed.
Khamronwit responded to the letter by saying that police would take about a week to find answers to the lawyer’s questions. He said Suwat would be immediately told if they found anything new.
Investigators were open to suggestions from the lawyer and Akeyuth’s relatives, he said, as the police also doubted the suspects’ claim but they had to wait for forensic results first.
Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Colonel Santhana Prayoonrat, a former Special Branch officer, told investigators yesterday Akeyuth had told him in person on April 25 that some people wanted him dead. Santhana said Akeyuth had spoken of this on a flight out of the country, adding that he was certain the businessman had been assassinated at someone’s order.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said he had instructed the Crime Suppression Division to conduct another investigation and compare its results with the probe conducted by the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Deputy metropolitan police chief, Pol Maj-General Parinya Chansuriya, said Santiparb’s girlfriend would be summoned for questioning soon. The chauffeur has claimed he planned the attack to avenge her being sacked by Akeyuth.
Suwat submitted the letter after the victim’s family collectively decided to continue fighting for further investigation. Initially, Akeyuth’s wife and sisters wanted to comply with the police force’s conclusion because they were worried about their safety. However, his brother and son insisted they continue fighting because they did not believe that theft and anger over the sacking of the driver’s girlfriend were the true motives.
Suwat said the family would cooperate with the investigation and if necessary would defer the cremation, scheduled for June 29.