Spaniard ‘may have acted alone’ in brutal murder

The ongoing investigation suggests that the two Thais detained in connection with the case might have just played a role in taking the victim’s assets, Pol General Panya Mamen said yesterday in his capacity as chief investigator. 

The suspect Arthur Segarra, 37, is accused of killing and dismembering David Bernat, a businessman who is from the same region of Catalonia in Spain as Segarra, in January before dumping the victim’s body parts into the Chao Phraya River at several locations in Nonthaburi and Phrathum Thani. Sergarra, who has denied the allegations, was arrested in Cambodia late last week and returned to Thailand on Monday. A search of his condominium on Rama 9 road found blood in the sewer and on the motorbike which he allegedly used to transport Bernat’s body, according to a police officer on the investigating team.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage dated January 20 showed that Segarra and Bernat both riding on the bike into Segarra’s condominium but footage from the same camera did not show Bernat leaving. Police said it was possible that Bernat was killed the same day. 

Bernat’s corpse might have been put in a freezer before being chopped up and dumped into the river, police said, noting that CCTV footage showed Segarra riding a motorbike encumbered with a big black plastic bag out of the condominium on January 26. 

Police are examining other evidence collected from the condominium and other locations. 

An interrogation of Segarra’s Thai girlfriend, Pridsana Saenubon, revealed that she withdrew Bt40,000 from an ATM account that might be related to the case. 

On January 31, Segarra told Pridsana to find a car to move his belongings from his condominium to Rakhamhaeng Road, she told police, adding that they had destroyed documents but she had no idea about their contents. Segarra is now being detained at Boworn Mongkol police station and had refused to say anything during the interrogation. 

Pol Lt-General Sanit Mahat-avorn, acting chief of Metropolitan Police, said the suspect has the right to see embassy officials and lawyers, adding that police would arrange a meeting in return for his cooperation in the investigation.