Police set to open murder probe in DSI cell death case

[webfact]

Police set to open murder probe in DSI cell death case

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

BANGKOK: -- Police have assured that they will track down those involved in the death of former Phuket and Phang Nga land official Tawatchai Anukul in a Department of Special Investigation (DSI) detention cell last year and they are ready to open a murder investigation.

Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Krisana Pattanacharoen said on Monday: “The Criminal Court ruled last Friday that [Tawatchai] was put to death by unidentified person(s) … because this was an unnatural death and a death during state officials’ custody.

 

“It required police to join with related officials in making a report on the cause of death,” Krisana said. 

 

After this, police investigators will probe the death and find who was responsible - intentional or otherwise, he said.

 

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang on Monday said the agency was ready to co-operate with Thung Song Hong police. 

 

With the exception of one retired person, he said the officials who worked at the DSI at the time of the incident were still with the DSI and could be summoned for information. The cell where Tawatchai was held has been sealed so no one could tamper with evidence, he said. 

 

Paisit said the DSI would let the police do their job and would not comment on the case.

 

Krisana said police investigators were awaiting Tawatchai’s case file from the public prosecutor or for Tawatchai’s relative to file a complaint to open the murder investigation.

 

Thung Song Hong deputy superintendent Pol Lt Colonel Suban Athiset said the probe into the death by the original investigation team would go ahead with or without the relative’s complaint.

 

A source at the Justice Ministry said Thung Song Hong police only presented to the court the opinion of a medical examiner from the Police General Hospital’s morgue. 

 

Police did not include other evidence, including the report by a central fact-finding committee which included reports from medical examiners from Chulalongkorn, Siriraj and Ramathibodi hospitals, the body X-ray, the time chronology of resuscitation attempts, or an animation to simulate Tawatchai’s hanging. 

 

Tawatchai, 66, was accused of dereliction of duty over his alleged involvement in the issuance of land ownership documents in Phuket and Phang Nga. 

 

He was found hanging in the DSI detention cell on August 30 last year and was pronounced dead at Mongkut Wattana Hospital. 

 

The autopsy report later showed that he died of a ruptured liver and internal bleeding, contrasting the DSI’s earlier statement that he had committed suicide by hanging himself with a pair of socks. 

 

While the DSI chief speculated at the time that a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) might have caused a liver rupture, hospital director Dr Rienthong Naenna insisted the CPR performed by an emergency medical team did not cause the man’s abdominal bleeding and liver rupture.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323077

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-07

[rkidlad]

Right. It was obvious it was murder from the off. And now they're going to take it seriously?

[BasalBanality]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

After this, police investigators will probe the death and find who was responsible - intentional or otherwise, he said.

One would hazard the likely outcome to be otherwise and the debacle swept under.

[over it]

What about the dark web admin? Just a farang or was he actually a human?

[trainman34014]

''Track them down'' ?    Ahem; have they not noticed that the culprits all work among them bar one who has retired.   These people make The Keystone Cops look like the best there ever was !

[Cadbury]

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Right. It was obvious it was murder from the off. And now they're going to take it seriously?

No! It simply means they have found a stooge they can blame to take the rap and the heat of themselves. Usual form from the RTP who try vainly to give the impression they are the paragons of honesty and virtue. 

[Classic Ray]

Too little too late. Now a race to see if the culprits get to court before the Red Bull heir!

[soalbundy]

perhaps it was the retiree who will be found hung shortly

[RichardColeman]

Whoever is arrested better hope they are not put into a cell !

[Psimbo]

I didn't know the DSI had any Burmese working for them!

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The cell where Tawatchai was held has been sealed so no one could tamper with evidence, he said. 

 

 

I am assuming this is the "sealed cell no one can tamper with"...

The Force must be strong with Paisit Wongmuang

Edited August 7, 2017 by klauskunkel

[Get Real]

12 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Right. It was obvious it was murder from the off. And now they're going to take it seriously?

No, not that seriously. Just pointing out that we have something for all that want´s to fill the newspapers for a month.