The Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court has issued warrants for the arrests of six police officers in connection with the killing of a highway police officer at the house of Praween Chanklai, aka “Kamnan Nok” in Mueang district of Nakhon Pathom on Wednesday night.
The six police officers were among others attending a monthly dinner at the house of Praween, chief of Ta Kong sub-district.
They were identified as Pol Maj Kiatisak Somsuk, investigative inspector of Krathum Baen district in Samut Sakhon province; Pol Lt Narongsak Taeng-ampai, a highway police officer; Pol Lt Nimit Salidkul, deputy inspector for traffic affairs in Mueang district of Nakhon Pathom; Pol Cpt Natthaphol Narkkorn, a highway police officer; Pol Lt Prasarn Rodphol and Pol Sub-Lt Sansert Srisawat, both highway police officers.
Last night, divers found a CCTV server in a canal behind Ta Kong Temple in Mueang district. The server is reported to have been removed from Praween’s house, wrapped in a black plastic bag and dumped into the canal after the shooting.
A handgun, thought to have been used in the shooting, was also found last night, buried near a swamp.
The man who disposed of the server was identified by police as “Thitinan”, a prison official who works at Praween’s house. He is currently being held in police custody.
Pol Maj Kiatisak and Pol Lt Nimit were ordered to be out of the service on temporary basis, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, told the media last night that one of the officers at Praween’s house managed to apprehend the gunman, identified as “Nong”, after the shooting, but released him after confiscating his handgun. Police shot and killed Nong in Kanchanaburi as he resisted arrest.
Surachate harshly reprimanded the 25 police officers who were at the house that evening, saying that their conduct is totally unacceptable. Without the police’s help, he said Praween and the gunman would not have escaped from the house and some of the evidence would not have been destroyed.
