Pro-democracy group's guard, who claimed to have been abducted, arrested
Samut Prakarn police on Friday arrested Mongkol Santimetakul, 23, a guard of the pro-democracy movement, who had claimed he was abducted by mysterious men on the night of January 16 from his residence in Samut Prakarn.
He was arrested in Lamsonthi district of Lopburi province.
After Mongkol filed a police complaint on January 17 afternoon, police checked CCTV footage in the area and found that he had spent the night, when he claimed to have been abducted, at Ingthan Place, a daily rental lodging in Samut Prakarn’s Muang district, before leaving the place at 11.57am on January 17. Police also found he had used an ATM at the time he claimed he was abducted.
Mongkol also faces an arrest warrant issued by Bangkok Military Court for deserting the military, which he was serving in December 2019.
Mongkol was charged with violating Section 173 of the criminal code, which stipulates that whoever gives information of an offence, knowing well that such an offence was not committed, to the inquiry official or the official having the power to investigate criminal cases, shall be imprisoned for not more than three years and fined not more than Bt6,000.
Muang Samut Prakarn police chief Pol. Colonel Termrat Jindarat said that officials arrested Mongkol while he was visiting a relative in Lopburi province.
“Police have opposed bail for the suspect, as there is a high possibility of him escaping,” he added. “He will be held at Muang Samut Prakarn Police Station for questioning and would later be sent to the Bangkok Military Court.”