Bangkok blast: Suspect Bilal says not paid for Erawan Shrine bomb

[webfact]

BANGKOK BLAST
Suspect Bilal says not paid for shrine bomb
The Nation October 1, 2015 1:00 am


Aod

His lawyer believes he did the attack to repay a personal favour; knows only one of the suspects

BANGKOK: -- The prime suspect in the Erawan Shrine bombing yesterday went back on his previous denials and admitted to his lawyer that he planted the deadly bomb, which killed 20 people and injured more than 100 others on August 17.

"But he says he was not paid for it. So, I personally believe he might have done it to repay a personal favour," said Chuchart Kanphai, the suspect's lawyer.

Chuchart yesterday met with his client, Bilal Mohammed, for more than two hours. The suspect, also known as Adem Karadag, had up to now stuck to his story that he was not the yellow-shirted person caught on a surveillance camera leaving a backpack full of explosives at Erawan Shrine.

Chuchart said Bilal confessed to him that he had placed the bag containing the explosives at the site. He said he was acting in accordance to the instructions of Abdullah Abdullahman, who had been staying at the Poon Anan Apartment in Bangkok's Nong Chok district.

Bilal was arrested at the same apartment on August 29 and bomb-making materials were also found. He and Abdullah stayed in different rooms on the same floor.

For the first time since the bombing, it is now clear what role Abdullah played in the attack. On September 7, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Abdullah along with a sketch artist's drawing based on a description provided by Bilal.

Chuchart said Bilal had told him he did not know any of the other suspects wanted for the blast, apart from Abdullah.

"Bilal came to Thailand on August 14," Chuchart said.

The lawyer said Bilal was sticking to his story that he planned to travel on to Malaysia. But the suspect has already backtracked from his previous claim that he was a Turkish citizen, Chuchart said.

"He now tells me that he is an Uighur. Though born in Turkey, he had lived in Urunchi, China," the lawyer said.

He added that Bilal had asked for an Uighur interpreter because he could not speak English or Turkish fluently.

"He has said he wants to contact his relatives in Turkey," Chuchart said.

According to the lawyer, relevant embassies have indicted it is difficult to verify the identity of Bilal given that so many people use exactly the same name.

Chuchart said he has changed his defence strategy and is now planning to fight Bilal's case by asking for leniency on the grounds that the suspect made a confession.

The authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the bomb blast. The other suspect in detention was named as Mieraili Yusufu.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul yesterday confirmed reports that Aod Payungwong, also known as Yongyut Pobkaew, who is also wanted for the Erawan Shrine blast, was a former red-shirt guard.

"His name appears in the investigation report for his violation of the state-of-emergency decree in 2010. We also have a clear picture of him," the senior police officer said.

According to Srivara, Yongyut has been prosecuted in nine cases already. Last year, he was also wanted for crimes related to explosives.

Pol Maj-General Chayaphon Chatchaidej, Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy spokesman, said witnesses had implicated Yongyut in the Erawan Shrine blast.

"They had seen him with Wanna [suansan] at the Maimuna Garden apartment," Chayaphon said.

Wanna is another of the suspects wanted for the deadly attack. Witnesses said she had rented rooms for many of the other suspects.

Pol Colonel Manop Sukhonthanapat, superintendent of Talat Phlu Police Station, said Yongyut had provided an address when he was arrested for his previous crimes; however, a probe has found that as many as 27 other people live at the same address.

An informed source said officials checked on the house that Yongyut had previously identified as his address in Ayutthaya province, but the current residents insisted that they did not know him.

Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, the incoming national police chief, yesterday said police were paying close attention to the technique used to make the August 27 bomb and the detonating cord used.

"They are unique. But the detonation is reminiscent to what we found in the deep South," Chakthip said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Suspect-Bilal-says-not-paid-for-shrine-bomb-30269935.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-01

[borisloosebrain]

Does this lawyer have any respect at all for 'Attorney Client ' privilege ?

Edited September 30, 2015 by borisloosebrain

[NongKhaiKid]

Does this lawyer have any respect at all for 'Attorney Client ' privilege ?

Another amazing aspect of the Thai justice ' system ', no ethics, make up the rules as you go and everyone just has to talk.

[canuckamuck]

The guy in the photo here does not look like the guy they arrested first with the very short cropped hair. But they are calling him Adam Karadag anyhow (or Bilal Mohammed) what is the deal, did they put a wig on him for the photo?

[smoggie]

The guy in the photo here does not look like the guy they arrested first with the very short cropped hair. But they are calling him Adam Karadag anyhow (or Bilal Mohammed) what is the deal, did they put a wig on him for the photo?

The photo is of the wanted Thai guy Aod Payungwong/Yongyut Pobkaew.

[AGareth2]

Aod Payungwong

[tx22cb]

Does this lawyer have any respect at all for 'Attorney Client ' privilege ?

Another amazing aspect of the Thai justice ' system ', no ethics, make up the rules as you go and everyone just has to talk.

Suspect has no money, can't afford a lawyer.

He has rejected suggestions that he's Turkish or Chinese, so no Embassy has stepped forward to assist.

His lawyer is a Thai planted by the police - and his loyalties (and for whom he works) are unclear.

No wonder the suspect has asked for a Uighur translator ... but fat chance of that happening any time soon.

[than]

The guy in the photo here does not look like the guy they arrested first with the very short cropped hair. But they are calling him Adam Karadag anyhow (or Bilal Mohammed) what is the deal, did they put a wig on him for the photo?

The picture is Aod Payungwong a well know red shirt terrorist who is linking to this case

[zaphod reborn]

Does this lawyer have any respect at all for 'Attorney Client ' privilege ?

First, Thailand doesn't acknowledge the attorney-client evidentiary privilege. Second, even if there was an attorney-client privilege in Thailand, how do you know that the client didn't waive it and authorize his attorney to make a public statement?

[godden]

He's as guilty as hell, because as sure as hell the RTP aren't giving the reward money back.

[kiwikeith]

Does this lawyer have any respect at all for 'Attorney Client ' privilege ?

Another amazing aspect of the Thai justice ' system ', no ethics, make up the rules as you go and everyone just has to talk.

Suspect has no money, can't afford a lawyer.

He has rejected suggestions that he's Turkish or Chinese, so no Embassy has stepped forward to assist.

His lawyer is a Thai planted by the police - and his loyalties (and for whom he works) are unclear.

No wonder the suspect has asked for a Uighur translator ... but fat chance of that happening any time soon.

I think Mieraili made the bomb and Bilal was the test crash dummy who planted it, Mieraili gave it to him was at erewan watching and probably detonated it, they obviously knew each other and I think Mr goody goody Bilal may have been waiting for his money in the apartment for doing the deed (motive hatred over deportation) but also promished to be taken to Malaysia or somewhere later for work.

I also think that the identikit picture police originaly put out was of Mieraili as the Taxi divers knew him and helped with composing that pic.

If it was not for the tip off by neighbours Mr Bilal may still have been waiting for his money, I wonder if Somyot the Solver ever paid them ???

[lvr181]

Huh? What difference, to the crime, does it make if he was paid or not?

A crime is a crime is a crime!

[anon4546543]

I am not red shirt or yellow shirt. My wife used to say we were white shirt, but even this colour has been abused. If the red shirt party employed this man, aod, well I don't think so. I think this man is for hire. If the red shirts are implicated, well this is not Thai reasoning. If the yellow shirts are linking this man to terrorism without facts, well this is just the same. Either way, the people in my village are horrified that anyone would bomb a temple, no matter if it is Christian, Moslem, Hindu or whatever. This is the message that needs to be made. Outside of politics, all moderate people abhor this disgusting act of terror. If your politics include terror, you have lost the plot and do not deserve any support. Just scum.

[Nemesis7]

Justice and actual fact are something it's rare to see in this LOS.

The reward money already claimed and given and some of the top coos are also retired...

So now any damn story or cover up will be made to justify their action.

Truth will be far far away from the reality

[Rykbanlor]

I am not red shirt or yellow shirt. My wife used to say we were white shirt, but even this colour has been abused. If the red shirt party employed this man, aod, well I don't think so. I think this man is for hire. If the red shirts are implicated, well this is not Thai reasoning. If the yellow shirts are linking this man to terrorism without facts, well this is just the same. Either way, the people in my village are horrified that anyone would bomb a temple, no matter if it is Christian, Moslem, Hindu or whatever. This is the message that needs to be made. Outside of politics, all moderate people abhor this disgusting act of terror. If your politics include terror, you have lost the plot and do not deserve any support. Just scum.

Well said - also the fact that some guy is a "red shirt guard" denotes no political leanings quite frankly. Both yellow and red sides used paid thugs/mercenarys to be their "guards" during the protests.

This can be conveniently ignored by anyone who wants to insinuate that there are red shirt links to the bombings of course.

It seems that Thai politicians and cops apparently have no shame about what they say, however contradictory it may be, to the press and I would assume it is because financial compensation makes up for loss of face on some occasions.

Somyot has had a cracking year of looking like a stupid pork faced lying douchebag on multiple occasions, and now as he hangs up his whistle, it must have seemed like a pretty quick year, with his billions in the bank and intentions of "opening businesses".

I am in no doubt that the collusion of Thai authorities, whether immigration officials, rogue cops (most cops), or military men, with trafficking networks and other criminals has a big part to answer for in this bombing to have even happened.