Koh Tao headman offers Bt1m cash if evidence proves his family implicated in the tourist murder

[webfact]

Koh Tao headman offers one million baht cash if evidence proves his family implicated in the tourist murder



BANGKOK: -- As a local village headman in Koh Tao announced to give one million baht cash reward to police if they have substantial evidence to implicate him and his family in the murder of the two British tourists, The Telegraph newspapers in the United Kingdom released yesterday what it said is the last picture of the two victims with friends at a beach bar hours before they were brutally murdered.

The photograph, provided to The Telegraph by someone they met briefly that evening, was taken at 9.45pm on the night before the murder.

It shows Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller at a popular sports pub called Choppers, an Australian-owned bar and a favourite spot for the tens of thousands of tourists and travellers who head to Koh Tao each year in search of its crystalline waters, world-famous diving sites and animated nightlife.

In the photograph, Miss Witheridge is wearing the same pink top she was wearing just hours later when she was killed.

On the opposite side of the table sits Mr David Miller with his close friend Christopher Ware, who is wearing a white T-shirt.

Mr Ware was initially suspected by the police and detained for questioning and DNA testing. But he was cleared and allowed to leave Thailand after being ruled out by DNA test.

The tattooed man closest to the camera, on the far right, is believed to be a traveller called Tom who the group had met on the island.

In the picture, the whole group was animated and just enjoying the night,” said someone who was in the pub that night but declined to be identified, The Telegraph said.

Ms Witheridge and Mr Miller are not thought to have known each other well and they arrived at Choppers in separate groups. Once the game had finished, at around midnight, they left separately, CCTV footage shows.

But by around 1am the two groups had met up again, this time at Sairee beach’s AC Bar, a Thai-run nightclub which is known for drunken brawls and strong cocktails, The Telegraph said.

What happened after Mr Miller and Ms Witheridge left AC Bar, apparently in different groups, remains a mystery.

But by around 6.30am locals had discovered their badly disfigured bodies just a few minutes walk along the beach, the UK newspapers said.

Meanwhile in Koh Tao, the headman Mr Woraphan Toovichien, 49, a village headman and owner of AC Bar, came out for the first time to defend his family name after what he said his family has become a social victim following allegations by a British tourist, Sean McAnna, accusing his brother Montriwat Toovichien, owner of In Touch resort and caretaker of AC Bar of threatening him with life to confess to the killing of the two British tourists.

The threat forced him to flee in fear, Sean told The Telegraph after returning to the UK.

Mr Woraphan who Mr Sean alleged to be a local Mafia said he was very upset to be implicated in the case.

He said he was ready to offer one million baht in cash if the police could implicate him or his brother and son to the murder of two British tourists.

He expressed his outrage at local police for their allegation that he was part of the murder, and also at international media for their coverage echoing local police’s unsubstantiated claims as well as allegations that he is the island’s mafia head who has been trying to obstruct the investigation.

He denounced the video footage taken at 4 am which officers claim to be that of his younger brother.

He also denounced claims that his son had any part of the crime as he is currently studying in Bangkok.

“I would never protect anyone who has committed a crime, even if it was a close friend, my own brother or son. I am an honest and straight forward person. If the provincial police are able to obtain evidence proving this I would gladly give them a one million baht reward.”

With regard to his connection to Sean McAnna, a Scotsman who posted a picture of his brother and another man on Facebook with claim that they were mafias who threatened to kill him and force him to confess to the murder of the two Britons, Mr Woraphan admitted that he did have a word with Sean as he suspected that he may have been involved with the murder.

But he portrayed our family as if we are Mafia, he said.

“The media coverage has ruined my reputation. I have friends and people from a number of organisations calling me up to inquire on the coverage. Everyone’s wondering of these accusations. This continues to be a really bad experience for me and my family.

Mr Woraphan said on the night of the murder, one of his employee identified as Jok saw so much blood on the face and body of Mr Sean, so he helped to wash it out for him.

Later he found out that Mr Sean looked very close to a suspect on the CCTV footage, he then asked Sean about the blood and was told that it was caused by accident.

He also said as the DNA testing revealed later the DNA samples in the female victim’s body belonged to Asian men, forcing his employee to be reluctant to give further information to the police as they thought Sean was not involved.

Besides, as Mr Sean was not captured in the CCTV footage, and the police probe was going astray, he chose to stay put, he said.

Meanwhile a claim by Sean that he went hiding in a convenience store on the island fearing for manhunt by his so-called mafias was also partially true was taken seriously by a TV Station.

A check by television channel staff on the CCTV footage at the 7-Eleven store showed he did enter the store but with no sign of fear as he claimed.

Southern police commissioner
Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, stated that so far no arrest warrants have been issued.

He also stated that investigators have taken DNA tests of some of the people within the crime scene’s vicinity. So far none of the results have not matched the blood stains found at the scene.

The remaining DNA results are expected to be ready soon.

As for Sean, evidence still were unlikely to implicate him, he said.

He also said there are three suspects in this murder and some of them might have left the island.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/koh-tao-headman-offers-one-million-baht-cash-evidence-proves-family-implicated-tourist-murder/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-25

[Boxclever]

Is that his brother reaching for a gun to the right of him?

[Bluespunk]

'As a local village headman in Koh Tao announced to give one million baht cash reward to police if they have substantial evidence to implicate him and his family in the murder of the two British tourists,'

Erm, might want to think about that a little more.......or at least have a family meeting first.

[StealthEnergiser]

webfact, on 16 Sept 2014 - 08:55, said:

CRIME
Koh Tao 'sealed off' after two tourists brutally killed
THE NATION, AFP



Gruesome murders of British pair on island paradise shock locals and visitors

BANGKOK: -- POLICE have sealed off the resort island of Koh Tao off Surat Thani province to hunt down killers who brutally murdered a British couple and possibly raped the woman on Sunday night. The 24-year-old victims have been identified as Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....itish-tourists/

this person in the black t shirt looks the same person put on the facebook pages and another newspaper we cant quote . this is dated 16 sept 14

Is this villiage headman with the gloves on at the crime also ?

[JOC]

And ofcourse this poor man made his fortune by growing coconuts!!

After reading the the Op, am I the only one even more confused??

[deecee10]

Has he thought through the implications of paying police to come up with evidence against his family?

[ThaidDown]

....and 10 million if it clears them.

[mrtoad]

You really couldn't make this <deleted> up

[evadgib]

Did I miss the bit about condolence

s & regret?

[SPB65]

Money again. It's not about the money pal, it's about justice !!!

[Nickymaster]

'As a local village headman in Koh Tao announced to give one million baht cash reward to police if they have substantial evidence to implicate him and his family in the murder of the two British tourists,'

Erm, might want to think about that a little more.......or at least have a family meeting first.

Deleted my post.

What I wanted to say has been said before in this thread.

[Calach]

Let's organize a duel to sort that out.

[Calach]

He should demand a trial by combat.

[JOC]

What an arrogant bastard!

It's like" I bet you, nobody can touch us"

[Just1Voice]

To come out and publicly offer this "reward", he must be pretty confident that the DNA evidence has been seriously tampered with and "misplace" so as to prove his family's "innocence"

[Always18]

....and 10 million if it clears them.

My own thoughts and many others I suspect............................

[ttthailand]

DNA test the entire family including the son in BKK. This is the only way to clear their name.

Offering One million baht is just another diversion and makes them look even more guilty in my book.

No one should be above the law and if it is believed they may be involved they should be tested.

[transam]

Does smack of, "we have now sorted stuff () so no probs here", to me......

[rkidlad]

My god this is all so depressing. They're dragging this all out and we know why. I hope someone in power with balls and a conscience will actually do something about this.

[siampolee]

One is led to wonder if a million baht is all that is left of the family wealth after due disbursement of funds to assist in ''solving'' this case to the personal satisfaction of the local village headman in Kah Tao.

[umbanda]

Very bad new in pursue of the truth.

This man may be doing this because he is sure of 2 things..

First....his family was not involved directly in the attack...

Second.....he knows the real killers....and he knows that they never will be founded alive to talk about....

[ClutchClark]

Did I miss the bit about condolence

s & regret?

Why would he offer regret?

[zaphod reborn]

Correct me if I am wrong, isn't this by definition a form of corruption that needs to be addressed by the PM, the police and the NACC? Under no circumstances should a governmental agency be able to consider accepting this kind of payment.

[ttthailand]

PM ... It is time !

Do the right thing and make sure justice is done.

The tourist, normal Thai people and all the farang living here are counting on you. Don't let us down !!!

[Katipo]

So who is conducting the DNA tests exactly? A solitary police lab technician? How can we be sure that if the police say there isn't a match that this is really the case?

If the person(s) providing/publishing the results has been corrupted, we'll never see the real perps brought to justice.

It's almost as if the police rounded up this guy's family in a response to public pressure just so they could say they didn't do it.

"Sorry Mr. headman, we have to pretend we are investigating you thoroughly because everyone is watching. Don't worry though, we'll say the DNA doesn't match and then it'll be over and you can get on with your lives."

[transam]

Correct me if I am wrong, isn't this by definition a form of corruption that needs to be addressed by the PM, the police and the NACC? Under no circumstances should a governmental agency be able to consider accepting this kind of payment.

You must remember that in LOS EVERYTHING revolves around cash. So the putting up of cash in this way is a wow for locals but means sod all to farangs. To me it is a smoke screen and they fear "other" investigators being involved. of course his family may not have been involved but for sure they know who were, there are nooooo secrets in LOS.

[phuketrichard]

this is becoming more an more like a Christopher Moore Novel

[NongKhaiKid]

I see the BIB now consider 3 suspects and some may have left the island !

Well it's only been well over a week since the crime was discovered and of course suspects wouldn't hang around unless of course they were very stupid or very confident and where have the new 3 suspects been conjured up from ?

As for The Family Guy maybe Revenue Dept should be having a look at him, his accounts and tax returns. C'mon I only said Maybe.

[Thai at Heart]

So who is conducting the DNA tests exactly? A solitary police lab technician? How can we be sure that if the police say there isn't a match that this is really the case?

If the person(s) providing/publishing the results has been corrupted, we'll never see the real perps brought to justice.

It's almost as if the police rounded up this guy's family in a response to public pressure just so they could say they didn't do it.

"Sorry Mr. headman, we have to pretend we are investigating you thoroughly because everyone is watching. Don't worry though, we'll say the DNA doesn't match and then it'll be over and you can get on with your lives."

Of course. .do you think that the chain of custody is to be trusted. They can make up anything they like.

[cloudhopper]

Correct me if I am wrong, isn't this by definition a form of corruption that needs to be addressed by the PM, the police and the NACC? Under no circumstances should a governmental agency be able to consider accepting this kind of payment.

It may be a form of corruption but if so paying off the cops for evidence against you would seem a rather bizarre form.