Thai police seek warrant for 'Ko Tee' over weapons

[webfact]

Police seek warrant for 'Ko Tee' over weapons
By The Nation

 

Wuttipong or “Ko Tee”

 

Authorities raise possibility of extradition from Laos after justice ministry says terrorism case taken over by DSI team

 

BANGKOK: -- POLICE ARE seeking arrest warrants for red-shirt leader Wuttipong “Ko Tee” Kottham-makhun and five others for possessing military weapons and criminal association.

 

Deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibhramanakul said yesterday that the Crime Suppression Division was gathering evidence to convince the Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the six people.

 

He said police had discovered connections between the suspects and the large cache of weapons allegedly discovered on Saturday during the search of a building linked to Wuttipong in Pathum Thani.

 

“I am not saying they are red shirts. But they are from the Red Radio group,” Srivara said, referring to a community radio station called “Red Guards Radio” that was run by Wuttipong and his team.

 

Police investigators have found evidence that the group planned to assassinate Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, according to Srivara.

 

He added that Wuttipong’s group also intended to attack “the opposite side” during last month’s siege of Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani, when authorities attempted to arrest its former abbot Phra Dhammachayo, who is wanted for alleged money laundering and accepting stolen assets among other charges.

 

Self-exile

 

“The attorney-general has requested Wuttipong’s extradition. I believe we will get him back for prosecution,” Srivara said.

 

At Government House, Prayut told reporters that government-to-government cooperation between Thailand and Laos has been “constantly good” in regards to Wuttipong, who has reportedly been living in self-exile in the neighbouring country since the 2014 coup.

 

But Prayut was not specific as to whether that cooperation would result in Wuttipong’s extradition. “That will need time to proceed,” he said.

 

Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, commenting on the possibility of Lao authorities extraditing Wuttipong to Thailand, said yesterday that the matter would be overseen by relevant security agencies.

 

Suwaphan said the case involving the weapons cache was linked to the red-shirt leader and would be transferred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

 

But the security team conducting raids would continue to search for weapons, he said.

 

The police investigation into the case would be handed over to a special DSI unit for two reasons, Suwaphan said, adding that one reason was that the weapons found at the Pathum Thani company included an M-16 assault rifle belonging to the Army that was stolen during the 2010 political unrest.

 

“The case is also related to terrorism,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30309841

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-22

[Thaiwrath]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

when authorities attempted to arrest its former abbot Phra Dhammachayo,

Let's hope any warrant issued for Ko-tee is as effective as the numerous ones issued for the arrest of Dhammachayo !

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Let's hope any warrant issued for Ko-tee is as effective as the numerous ones issued for the arrest of Dhammachayo !

 

So you don;t want him to be taken into custody and investigated?

 

Why would that be?

[Eric Loh]

16 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

So you don;t want him to be taken into custody and investigated?

 

Why would that be?

Why? Because they are still gathering evidence and the court has not issued any arrest warrant. Don't you read?

[BigBadGeordie]

Charges of "criminal association", well one thing for certain, I am never going to speak/associated with another policeman or government official.

 

Too risky.

[scorecard]

24 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Why? Because they are still gathering evidence and the court has not issued any arrest warrant. Don't you read?

 

That wasn't my point, why don't you read and comprehend?

[Eric Loh]

15 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

That wasn't my point, why don't you read and comprehend?

You have no point to ask question on custody when court has no evidence to issue arrest warrant. Not hard to comprehend if you try.

[scorecard]

20 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You have no point to ask question on custody when court has no evidence to issue arrest warrant. Not hard to comprehend if you try.

 

How do you know whether there is enough evidence to issue a warrant?

 

Or perhaps you are inside the 'the xxx organization'?  

 

Given your oft haste to try to protect / deflect from the xxx organization, wouldn't surprise me at all.

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

“That will need time to proceed,”

And he will be singing "Goodbye And So Long To You"

[candide]

That was the objective anyway. They cannot get people extradited for LM, so they have to create other charges, hoping it will work this time.