Cop wanted over monk killing held

Senior Sgt-Major Charnchai Soisangwan was reportedly arrested in Bolikhamxay province in Laos, and was in the process of being handed over to Thai police as of press time. Escorted by police, he is scheduled to enter Thailand’s Bueng Kan province at around 6pm, and would reach Udon Thani at 8pm, when he will be questioned by chief investigator – assistant police commander Lt-General Panya Mamen.
Charnchai, who is charged with assisting in a premeditated murder, is the key to finding out who is the mastermind behind the shooting of Phra Bundit Supanditto, the abbot of Wat Pa Tor Seesiad, on March 1, Somyot said at a press conference.
Somyot said no more information had been forthcoming on another person potentially involved in the crime after police named an Udon Thani businessman, identified only as Bor, as a possible suspect. He described a search of Bor’s home on Wednesday as routine police duty following potential leads on his suspected role as the mastermind.
He said police were focused on the best lead – that the motive behind the murder was over one of the businessman’s wives abandoning him and spending most of her time at the temple to observe Dharma.
Acting on information provided by the self-confessed gunman, Panja Chareesaen, police yesterday seized a pickup truck possibly used in the assassination at a home in Nong Bua Lamphu.
Originally painted white, the pickup has been spray painted black but the licence plates are the same.
A joint soldier-police search conducted yesterday at Charnchai’s home in Phen district unearthed 59 game machines, which are possibly illegal.
Police yesterday conducted another re-enactment in Kumpawapi district where Panja alleged Charnchai handed him Bt30,000 before the shooting and Bt20,000 afterwards.