FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

CSD ready to report on Bt30 million lottery case

CSD ready to report on Bt30 million lottery case

A Crime Suppression Division (CSD) team is wrapping up the case surrounding the disputed Bt30 million lottery on Saturday and is expected to submit its report to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief for endorsement on Sunday.

Pol Maj-General Charn Wimolsri, deputy CIB commissioner, said the CSD investigators were finishing up on Saturday and were expected to submit the report for him to review on Sunday. He would then pass it on to the CIB commissioner, Pol Lt-General Thitirat Nongharnpitak.
The case concerns a highly publicised dispute between retired policeman Charoon Wimul, 62, and teacher Preecha Kraikruan, 50, about the real ownership of five lottery tickets that won Bt30 million in the November 1 draw.
Charn said the findings by the CSD team would lead to the arrest of more than two people because there were several alleged accomplices.
Charn also indicated that some Kanchanaburi police investigators, who were in charge of the initial investigation, might face legal action.
“Some of the police officers who investigated the case might be made witnesses,” Charn said.
He said the CSD team had conducted a deep probe based on scientific evidence.
Last week, the CIB chief himself attended separate interviews with six people – four unnamed policemen (one lieutenant colonel, one major, one captain and one senior sergeant-major) from the Muang Kanchanaburi precinct, and two female lottery vendors – at the Highway 6 precinct in Kanchanaburi’s Phanom Thuan district.
In the dispute, Preecha claimed he had two lottery vendors as witnesses to prove that he bought the winning tickets but lost them. Preecha alleged Charoon then found the tickets and cashed in the prize.
Charoon’s side claims that Charoon became the victim of a conspiracy to try to cheat him of the Bt30 million.
On Saturday, Charoon’s lawyer, Sittha Biabungkerd, claimed that police had obtained an audio clip in which Preecha allegedly told a lottery vendor to “recall” selling the lottery tickets and they would share the money among themselves.
Preecha admitted that the clip sounded like his voice but it had yet to be authenticated by the authorities and he was ready to prove himself. A CSD source said the investigating team had already obtained the audio clip.

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