Somyot 'killed for failing to quash a drug lawsuit'
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NIGHT-ENTERTAINMENT tycoon and lawyer Somyot Suthangkool was murdered on June 29 on the orders of a drug suspect after failing to quash a drug lawsuit for which he had been paid millions of baht, police said yesterday.
Panupong Rassana, the gun-for-hire who confessed to murdering Somyot, had implicated former prison guard Chom Chainarong as an accomplice. Chom was arrested in Phetchaburi province.
Chom confessed to allegedly receiving Bt1 million from the hirer, keeping Bt100,000 for himself and passing Bt300,000 on to Panupong. He didn’t say where the rest of the money went.
A source said police have already issued warrants for the arrest of the getaway motorcycle driver, identified only as “Noo”, and the man who arranged for the gunman, identified as Krissada “Nok” Jai-aim. The identity of the hirer remains unknown.
National police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang told a press conference that Panupong, 32, would be charged with committing premeditated murder, being in possession of a gun and ammunition in public without a permit and carrying a gun in public without a good reason.
Before the shooting, Panupong was taken to reconnoitre the restaurant once and given the gun.
To re-enact the crime, police have taken Panupong to four locations: the restaurant parking lot in Suan Luang district where he allegedly shot Somyot; Somdet Phra Pinklao Bridge where he threw the gun into the river two days after the shooting; the Ramkhamhaeng Soi 24 area where he and the motorbike driver ditched the getaway motorcycle and caught a taxi; and the toilet at the Hua Mark Stadium compound where he collected the money and the .38-calibre pistol.
The last re-enactment was performed with Chom.
Pol Maj-General Sombat Milintajinda, commander of Metropolitan Police’s Investigation Division, said Panupong confessed that Chom had paid him a down payment of Bt30,000 and a further Bt270,000 after the shooting.
Panupong claimed he didn’t know Somyot, but he accepted the job as it was requested by a person for whom he felt deep gratitude.
Pol Maj-General Akaradech Pimonsri, commander of Crime Suppression Police, said the motive was Somyot’s reported bungling of a drug lawsuit after he was paid millions of baht to have it quashed but “it didn’t fall through due to alleged betrayal”.
Police suspect the involvement of another person who might be close to Somyot, a source said.
