Ex-officials deny links to KMITL theft

Thawil and Sappasit told Crime Suppression Department (CSD) police they did not detect anything unusual regarding the KMITL’s financial standing during their administration. They said the books and financial reports were examined by relevant officials and rechecked by the Office of the Auditor-General of Thailand.
They said they knew nothing about the forgery of documents by an embezzlement gang. They also assured police of their full cooperation in the investigation of this case.
Thawil told reporters the money-withdrawal procedure during his time had three authorised persons – himself as the rector, Sappasit as vice rector on financial matters, and Ampon Noisamrit as head of the finance division. He said he signed three accounts: the daily book, the staff-salary book and the reserve-fund book.
“During my time [August 2012 to October 2013], money didn’t disappear and my checking of papers relating to transactions found that all were signed and completed as usual. I didn’t know if the money was missing because of document forgery or fake transactions,” he said, adding that he wasn’t worried about being linked to the case.
Thawil said he knew Ampon, who has been arrested in the case, because she was his subordinate. He also saw another suspect, former bank manager Songklod Sriprasong, from time to time at the bank but wasn’t close to him. He said he didn’t know the remaining embezzlement suspects.
Police are hunting for Kittisak Mattujad, who is believed to be a key person in the embezzlement and has reportedly fled to Hong Kong. They are also checking related money transactions to back their request for arrest warrants for another four or five suspects, a source reported yesterday.
Other two previous executives – former rector Kitti Teeraset and former vice rector Somsak Kuhasawan-vej – who were supposed to provide information to police, did not show up yesterday. Kitti told The Nation over the phone that they were both busy and had not been summoned by the police anyway.
Police spokesman Pol Lt-General Prawut Thavornsiri, meanwhile, said actor Pakorn Chatborirak, who bought a Bt13.5-million Lamborghini from suspect Kittisak, could not be involved in case as the car was second-hand and sold at a lower price. He added that police found nothing suspicious or any links to the gang in Pakorn’s financial transactions.
Police also found nothing suspicious in actress Savika Chaiyadej’s finances even though she was named as a shareholder in Kittisak’s firm.