KHON KAEN - Public prosecutors intended to press more charges against the suspects in the murder and dismembering of a karaoke bar girl, so they asked police to expand interrogation before bringing them to court later this month.
Provincial prosecutor Wichet Saenkham said on Thursday that prosecutors received a 706-page statement of accusation from police of the Khao Suan Kwang station last Friday, which proposed charges of premeditated murder, body concealment, robbery and reception of stolen property.
Prosecutors in charge of the case already asked Khao Suan Kwang interrogators to expand their questioning on additional topics as prosecutors planned to press more charges, Mr Wichet said. He declined to elaborate on the planned additional charges.
"There will be more charges against the suspects and they will be indicted at the Khon Kaen provincial court by Aug 22," Mr Wichet said.
The accused were Preeyanuch Nonwangchai, 24, Kawita Ratchada, 25, Apiwan Sattayabundit, 28, Wasin Namprom, 22, and Jidarat Promkhun, 21.
Police charged the first four suspects with premeditated murder and concealing a body. They confessed. The first three female suspects were arrested in a border area of Myanmar. The fourth, male, was arrested in Laos.
The last suspect, Jidarat, who was arrested in Ubon Ratchathani province, was only accused of robbery and reception of stolen property. She denied it, saying the other four met her in Bangkok after the murder and sold the victim's mobile phone. All five were detained in Khon Kaen.
Police said the suspects were allegedly complicit in the murder of Warisara Klinjui, 22, whose body was found in a shallow grave in Khao Suan Kwang district, Khon Kaen, on May 25.
Police quoted Ms Preeyanuch as saying she wanted to teach Warisara a lesson after the victim had earlier provided the police with information that led to the arrest of Ms Preeyanuch's husband allegedly in connection with drug abuse.
The victim was reportedly strangled in a rented car in Khon Kaen on May 23. The body was dismembered and then buried.
