The Prachachart party has urged the prime minister to accelerate the investigation into last month’s attempted murder of its Narathiwat MP, Kamonsak Leewamoh, and to expand the probe to identify those behind the attack.
Party leader Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong called at a press briefing at the party’s headquarters on Friday calling for urgent action following the shooting that took place outside Kamonsak’s residence in Bacho district of Narathiwat on March 20.
Kamonsak was present at the briefing.
The attack occurred in the early morning as Kamonsak was returning from Hat Yai airport after attending a parliamentary meeting. Gunmen opened fire, seriously injuring his driver and his police escort, both of whom are still in hospital.
Tawee said that, while violence in the southern border provinces affects many people, authorities must ensure safety for all and conduct a transparent investigation to bring perpetrators to justice.
He acknowledged that police and relevant agencies have been working intensively, with reports of suspects being detained under special laws and arrest warrants issued.
He expressed concern though over reports that the vehicle used in the attack, a white car, was a government vehicle linked to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC). The vehicle was dismantled and dumped in a body of water after the incident.
Tawee called on the prime minister, who oversees ISOC, to ensure accountability and explain how a state vehicle could have been used in such a crime.
Meanwhile, Kamonsak said dash-cam footage from his vehicle clearly captured the license plate of the attackers’ car, leading investigators to identify suspects and trace the vehicle, which was later confirmed to belong to ISOC in Narathiwat.
He stressed that the attack was clearly intended to take his life, despite attempts to portray it as targeting his driver, noting that he had been followed from Hat Yai airport.
According to the party, investigators found 30 shell casings at the scene, believed to have been fired from two M16 rifles. The suspects’ vehicle was identified as a white four-door pickup truck.
Police detained two suspects on March 30th, former marines Somporn Langdej and Yotsakorn Langdej. Further investigation led to additional detentions and evidence collection.
On April 1, authorities searched two locations in Tak Bai district, including a site where the vehicle used in the attack was dismantled was found, as well as weapons linked to the crime.
The party described the attack as highly organised, involving coordination, and said it posed a serious threat to the safety of MPs and public confidence. It also suggested the possibility of masterminds and financiers behind the operation.
