Police team to probe ‘Ying Kai’ for alleged human trafficking

The order stated that city police investigator Colonel Bank Buanuan’s initial probe found that from July 2009 to February 2010 Monta allegedly lured a 17-year-old girl, Jit (not her real name), from Mae Hong Son to work at her condominium in Bangkok in exchange for Bt4,000 a month. 

However, Monta allegedly refused to pay Jit after a while and the maid said she would go home. Monta allegedly threatened to have Jit’s parents arrested. 

Monta was charged with human trafficking for using forced labour at Prachacheun Police Station on Friday. 

As cases linked to Monta have received much public attention, Sanit assigned an investigation team led by his deputy, Maj-General Jaruwat Waisaya, in an attempt to bring a swift conclusion to the matter.

Investigators were to request an arrest warrant be issued against Monta for human trafficking at Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on Saturday. 

Sanit said police were gathering evidence for other potential charges against Monta including harbouring undocumented migrants.

Since July 7, Monta has been held at Central Women Correctional Institution after she was charged with perjury for giving false information about a criminal offence that implicated another person, attempted human trafficking and lese majeste. The perjury charge relates to a police complaint Monta filed against her former maid, Prapawan “Goi” Jaikla, 18, and the maid’s parents in which she accused them of stealing Bt10 million worth of gold bars and cash from her.

On Saturday, Goi’s lawyer Songkran Atchariyasap brought Sukanya Sirimoung, who had also worked for Monta as a maid, to file a complaint against her former employer at the Crime Suppression Division. The complaint relates to alleged forgeries of Sukanya’s signatures on a theft case report prepared by Prachacheun Police Station and brought against Sukanya by Monta.

Sukanya claimed that during her detention at a remand prison the case investigator visited her twice to sign papers but she refused. After she was released on bail, Songkran asked for a copy of the case report for Sukanya to check and that was when she noticed several alleged forgeries of her signature.

She said she signed her name only twice – once on the theft confession and once on a book at the police station. 

Songkran had Sukanya signed her signature on 15 pages in front of police for further examination and comparison with the case report signatures.

Songkran said he would soon submit the information on a Laotian who had worked as a maid for Monta and who returned home after Monta accused her of theft about five years ago. He wants police to revoke her arrest warrant so she can return to Thailand to provide information to police.

 The woman lives in Vientiane with her one-year-old child, he added.