Three of the six suspects, alleged to have been involved in the abduction and subsequent murder of the elder brother of a senior judge at the Bangkok South Criminal Court, were escorted by Crime Suppression Division to three locations for re-enactment of the crime today.
The three suspects were taken to three locations, namely Banyin’s house in Soi Ratchadapisek 33, the area in front of the Bangkok South Civil Court and Talingchan Road in Suphan Buri province.
The suspects, including former deputy commerce minister Pol Lt-Col Banyin Tangpaporn, are charged with the kidnapping of Mr. Veerachai Sakhuntaprasert, elder brother of Ms. Panita, a senior Criminal Court judge. The judge was handling a case in which Banyin was charged with falsifying documents and using them in the transfer of about 300 million baht in shares, belonging to Mr. Chuwong sae Tang, a wealthy subcontractor, who died in a car accident under suspicious circumstances, in the company of Banyin, on the outskirts of Bangkok on June 26th 2015. The verdict in the share transfer case is due to be delivered on March 20th.
Police allege that the gang kidnapped Mr. Veerachai in front of the Bangkok South Civil Court and held the victim hostage, while some of them called Ms. Panita demanding that she acquit Banyin in the illegal share transfer case, but she declined.
Police said they suspect the hostage was killed and his body destroyed to hide the crime. Confessions by some of the suspects led the CSD police to search for remains of the victim in the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan province.
Divers yesterday found a cell-phone, believed to have been owned by the victim, in the river at Wa Sai Tai in Tambon Paknam Po, Muang district of Nakhon Sawan.
The five other suspects are Manat Thapnil, 67, Narongsak Pomchan, 49, Prachawit Srithongsuk, 34, Chartchai Menkul, 31 and Thongchai Wajeesajja, a retired police officer. All six are charged with intimidation, criminal association, kidnapping, illegal detention and murder. Banyin has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
