Search turns up more evidence at police doctor's ranch

The Nation

PHATCHABURI: -- In the presence of workers from Myanmar, police obtained key information during a search yesterday of the Phetchaburi ranch of a police doctor suspected of murdering a worker from the neighbouring country found buried on the property.

The search also turned up a rifle and other munitions owned by Pol Colonel Dr Suphat Laohawatthana. There were no details over whether the items were licensed. Suphat legally possesses a large number of firearms.

Brought to the ranch by police, a Myanmar worker named Kala pointed out locations where he claimed to have assisted Suphat in the shooting of the slain worker, Eta, and later with hiding his body. Kala said Suphat later ordered another Myanmar worker, a close friend named Tha Ngae, to shoot him, but Tha Ngae, not wanting to kill his friend, disabled a motorcycle as an excuse not to kill Kala.

Tha Ngae later secretly informed Kala of the death order from Suphat, the worker said, prompting him to go into hiding on a nearby plantation. He showed up a few days after news of Suphat's alleged crimes broke.

The chief of Tha Mai Ruak police in Phetchaburi, Pol Colonel Phichai Pokpong, said statements given to him by two Myanmar workers based in Tak province were very useful and would facilitate the obtaining of a court warrant permitting further excavation of Suphat's ranch. The statements would join those expected to be provided by other Myanmar workers concerning the location of several burial sites and reports of conflicts between Suphat and a couple - Samart Noomjui and his wife Orasa Kersab - who have been missing for two years.

Samart's father Sawang Noomjui yesterday gave information and additional evidence to Muang Phetchaburi police, before complaining that Tha Mai Ruak police had made little progress since he filed a missing-person complaint with them. He said it had taken three years from the time stories first emerged about activities at the ranch for any movement in the case to occur.

-- The Nation 2012-10-17

.....3 years.....???

.....3 years.....???

Yeah, they're pulling out all the stops here, they wouldn't drag their feet investigating one of their own

I'm amazed that the BiB would not only charge a Lt Col but would also dig (no pun intended) really deep for evidence! He must have some serious enemies?

"...and would facilitate the obtaining of a court warrant permitting further excavation of Suphat's ranch..."

Am I wrong in suspecting this is because the first search warrant was issued for a piece of land measuring probably, say, 1metre by 1metre (matched with GPS coordinates) rather than a warrant allowing them to dig up the whole yard? If future warrants were issued on the same basis it could be a decade before all the digging is done.

The police obviously want to be exactingly thorough in thier search for alleged evidence against a colleague.

(NURSE! More medication! This reality stuff is getting painful again.)