Daughters of murder 'mastermind' charged

Two of these suspects are Rassamee and Kantika Jan-ngarm, the daughters of convict Juree Jan-ngarm. 

Rassamee, who turned herself in to police with her sister, yesterday confessed to the crime. 

“I wanted to help my mum. She didn’t receive justice,” she said. 

Wikrom Jan-ngarm testified against Juree, his mother, in court after gunmen said she had ordered them to murder Wikrom’s girlfriend, Riewprae Chotikarn.

At the time of her death in 2007, the 26-year-old girlfriend was three-months pregnant and about to marry Wikrom. 

Rassamee said Wikrom was the only sibling who had spoken out against Juree.

“All the other siblings know our mum was framed. I won’t comment further. The lawyer will help me fight the case in court,” she said. 

Rassamee petitioned the Songkhla Provincial Court early last year, saying her mother had died while on bail. 

She had posted a Bt5-million security deposit to secure Juree’s temporary release, as her mother appealed against her guilty verdict to the Supreme Court. 

The certificate was genuine but had been obtained through illegitimate means and involved an acting abbot, who has now left the monkhood, a village head and his wife, a public-health official, a rescue volunteer, and two people in the Jan-ngarm family, according to an ongoing investigation. 

Crime Suppression Division chief Maj-General Akradej Pimonsri said Riewprae’s mother did not believe that Juree was dead and asked police to investigate further. 

After publicity about the case, Juree turned herself in to police.