The Crime Suppression Division on Friday sent prosecutors its case report on former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangprakorn and five others accused of the abduction and murder of a senior judge’s brother.
CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej said investigators had wrapped up their report into the murder of Wirachai Sakuntaprasoet, brother of Criminal Court senior judge Phanida Sukantaprasoet.
The investigators had questioned 111 witnesses and all six suspects. Their report consisted of 11 files, with 4,259 pages, and was handed to public prosecutors on Friday.
Banyin and his co-accused face nine counts -- trying to force another person to act unlawfully, colluding to force a state official to act unlawfully, criminal association, colluding in murder to conceal another offence, illegal detention for ransom, illegal detention causing death, concealment of a corpse, collusion to destroy a corpse or surrounding areas before an autopsy was conducted, and impersonating a state officer by wearing a police uniform.
Wirachai, the older brother of Bangkok South Criminal Court judge Phanida Sakuntaprasoet, was abducted while his sister was hearing a case against Pol Lt Col Banyin involving an alleged illegal shares transfer.
On Feb 4, the judge's brother was allegedly forced into a car near the Bangkok South Civil Court, and suffered fatal injuries caused by his abductors while being taken to Nakhon Sawan.
Wirachai's body was burned and his remains stuffed in fertiliser bags and dumped in the Chao Phraya River.
Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop said Pol Lt Col Banyin and four of his co-accused have denied the charges. The other suspect confessed to the charges. Investigators believed the case against all of them was strong and the evidence was substantial.
Pol Lt Col Banyin currently faces four criminal cases -- falsifying documents and using fake documents to transfer to himself about 300 million baht worth of shares belonging to billionaire friend and construction contractor Chuwong sae Tang in 2015, the murder of Chuwong by staging a car accident, money laundering involving Chuwong’s shares, and the abduction-murder of the judge’s elder brother.
Crime Suppression Division chief Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej tells reporters on Friday that investigators have sent to prosecutiors their case against former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangprakorn and five other suspects in the abduction and murder of a senior judge’s brother. (Photo: Wassayos Ngamkham)
