The woman partner of the prime suspect in the murder and dismemberment of a Spanish businessman said the man told her not to open a freezer while staying with him at a rented home in the Ramkhamhaeng area on the day the victim’s first body part was found in the Chao Phraya River.
Pritsana Saen-ubon was being interrogated throughout Saturday night in Surin province by officers from the investigation division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, a police source told INN radio news on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Surin native was initially questioned by Surin police after she was seen with Artur Segarra Princep, 37, in Surin on Friday. The Spanish national from Barcelona is suspected to be involved in a plot to kidnap, extort and kill Spanish businessman David Bernat, 40, either as the mastermind or the actual killer.
Ms Pritsana said she knew Mr Segarra Princep about a year ago and in December he asked her to stay with him at an apartment in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek area.
She stayed at a friend’s place between Jan 17 and 24 after Mr Segarra Princep told her he would have a foreign friend stay with him during that period.
On Jan 23, Mr Segarra Princep took her to rent an apartment room in the Ratchadaphisek area. He then told her not to telephone him the following day as he had an important task to do with his friend.
Ms Pritsana met her partner again on Jan 30 when he told her to move from the apartment to stay at a rented home with him in Ramkhamhaeng. The woman said Mr Segarra Princep ordered her not to open a big freezer in the house during their stay, so she complied. She also saw several kitchen knives.
Bernat disappeared from his apartment in Klong Toey on Jan 20. Six body parts found along the Chao Phraya in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani between Jan 30 and Feb 3 were later confirmed as his.
On Feb 1, the pair travelled by motorcycle to Surin’s Muang district to stay at Ms Pritsana’s home. Two days later Mr Segarra Princep hired her friend to drive him to Wang Noi district in Ayutthaya to withdraw money.
Ms Pritsana said Mr Segarra Princep fled on Friday evening after seeing his face on the television news while they were in a karaoke bar in Muang district.
The getaway motorcycle was later found abandoned near the Cambodian border in tambon Darn in Kap Choeng district, but police believe he may still be in Thailand.
Ms Pritsana denied any involvement in the killing of Bernat.
Pol Gen Panya Mamen, a senior adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, said police had enough evidence and expected to seek an arrest warrant for Mr Segarra Princep soon on multiple charges including abduction, extortion, torture, assault, murder and concealment of a body.
Pol Gen Panya said Cambodian authorities had not detected any sign of Mr Segarra Princep, so it was likely he was still in hiding in Thailand.
Ms Pritsana’s male friend was being held for questioning for driving the suspect to Ayutthaya, he said.
The investigation team also questioned an Italian national and a Spanish national but police initially did not find any links between them and the murder.