Fugitive's Brother Under Close Watch: Suphoth Burglary Case

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KEY BURGLARY SUSPECT

Fugitive's brother under close watch

The Nation

Laos-based sibling said to be helping 'ringleader' of last month's heist

Police are closely monitoring the movements of a Laos-based elder brother of the much-wanted alleged ringleader of last month's burglary at the home of the Transport Ministry's now-suspended permanent secretary Suphoth Sublom, as he may be assisting the fugitive on the run in that country.

Senior commander Pol Lt-General Somphong Khongphetsak said Laotian police had detained an unknown number of Thai men suspected of aiding the escape of suspect Weerasak Chuelee, while Thai police were monitoring the movements of his elder brother, identified merely as Phad.

Somphong denied again that Weerasak had been fleeing in and out of Vietnam and China, saying the fugitive might have leaked such information to confuse police or delay their pursuit of him.

"Weerasak remains in Laos and is being closely pursued. We expect to locate and arrest him soon," said the officer, commander of Regional Police Bureau 4, whose jurisdiction covers the lower Northeast.

Four police operation centres in Thailand and one in Laos are dedicated to tracking and arresting Weerasak, who is reportedly exploiting his connection with locals and knowledge of Laos, where he worked previously as a shipping agent.

Suphoth could have been in possession of more than Bt100 million in cash in undeclared assets, said a National Anti-Corruption Commis-sion source familiar with investigating the amount of money Suphoth possessed but failed to declare to the NACC.

Investigation launched

The NACC, after seizing more than Bt18 million found with the eight suspected burglars in custody, is also probing Suphoth's previous possession of assets when he held his previous positions before being appointed to the top post at the ministry, said NACC official Preecha Lertkamolmart.

There is another chunk of Bt28 million in cash Suphoth had failed to declare to NACC, Preecha said. He will be summoned to declare his assets to the commission next week, through either verbal or written statements.

He said that contrary to his claims in public, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung had not submitted any document to the NACC about possible corruption in the Green Line MRT project involving Suphoth.

A team of NACC officials went to Wang Thong Lang Police Station yesterday to count the money seized from the arrested burglary suspects. They declined to reveal details.

A deputy NACC head, Worrawit Sukbun, who led the team only revealed the commercial banks that were sources of the money, judging from the plastic bands fastening the banknotes.

Separate inquiries are underway with each individual bank to determine the sources and transaction of the banknotes before they ended up in Suphoth's home, and were stolen in the heist on the night of November 12.

Verifications sought

The NACC is also carefully verifying the status of Bt2 million in cash and gold ornaments weighing 1.5 kilograms in Suphoth's possession, which he claimed were dowry given to his daughter on her wedding. "There are also 1.5kg gold ornaments that the burglars claimed to have bought with the stolen money," Preecha said.

"The NACC has to be careful about the two, or we could be accused of unlawfully seizing his daughter's dowry," he added.

-- The Nation 2011-12-03

[OzMick]

Ummm - illegally obtained funds used as a daughter's dowry suddenly become untouchable? OK, then the dowry was ................pick a number between 20 mill and a billion.

[DaiHard]

Fugitive's brother under close watch

I'm sure he'll lead the police straight to the suspect, after all he has no idea he is under surveillance

[ratcatcher]

Another giant

[LandOfSmileys]

Quote: "A team of NACC officials went to Wang Thong Lang Police Station yesterday to count the money seized from the arrested burglary suspects. They declined to reveal details."

Just now they are going to count it??? Is this the first counting? Or do they keep re-counting it every time the pile changes shape, or gets knocked over. To make sure it is all still there, or make sure nobody added any?