Police have added charges of supporting wrongdoers and accepting assets for doing so against Akarakit "Benz Racing" Worarojcharoendet in relation to Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keowpimpha on Tuesday.
Sirinya Sitdhichai, secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board, said that he supported narcotics suppression police's proposal on the additional charges as Mr Akarakit had accepted money and assets from Natthaphol Nakkham, alias Boy, on several occasions.
The additional charges were in accordance with the act on the suppression of drug-related wrongdoers.
The biggest sum Mr Akarakit had accepted from Mr Natthaphol was 6 million baht for the monthly instalment payment of a Lamborghini, Mr Sirinya said.
He also said that actress Napapa "Patt" Tantrakul, Mr Akarakit's wife, did not face the additional charges because there was no evidence she supported any wrongdoer in the drug case and she was not close to Mr Natthaphol.
Ms Napapa had received 1.9 million baht from her husband and returned 400,000 baht to him. Authorities seized the remaining 1.5 million baht pending the investigation. Unless she can prove the source of the money, it will be confiscated, Mr Sirinya said.
He also said that the Office of the Narcotics Control Board was impounding more assets in the case, including 22 items belonging to Mr Natthaphol.
Mr Akarakit acknowledged the additional charges at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) in Bangkok on Tuesday. He told reporters briefly that he would elaborate on the issue at the Criminal Court on Wednesday when he reports for the seventh and last detention period by police and seeks to renew bail.
Pol Col Ronnadet Klin-uthai, an interrogative superintendent of NSB, said Mr Akarakit had earlier been charged with money-laundering and conspiracy in money laundering. The additional charges came because the suspected money laundering allegedly supported the wrongdoers.
The 30-year-old suspect faced the charges as police decided he was unable to properly explain his acquisition of luxury vehicles including a Lamborghini Gallardo, a KTM 1290 Super Duke motorbike and a BMW motorcycle.
Police said with the income from his bike accessories shop, Area 51, in Bangkok, he could not afford the 20-million-baht Lamborghini, which they believed was acquired with money from the network of alleged Lao drug cartel leader Xaysana Keopimpha, arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport early this year.
Mr Akarakit's financial records showed he paid 250,000 baht in monthly instalments for the Lamborghini.
Investigators also found 300,000 baht had been transferred to his account each month by Mr Natthaphol, one of the suspects in the Xaysana case. They suspect Mr Natthaphol put the money into Mr Akarakit's account to pay for the car while paying Mr Akarakit 50,000 baht for posing as the owner.
