Prosecutors have indicted a woman and her ex-husband for killing a 79-year-old Japanese teacher and dismembering his body in their alleged plot to steal his assets.
The Criminal Court has called the first hearing in the case for Monday after it yesterday accepted the indictment against Pornchanok Chaiyapa and Somchai Kaewbangyang, both 47, in the murder of Yoshinori Shimato, whose dismembered body was stuffed in four bags and dumped in a canal in Samut Prakan's Bang Bo in late September.
Prosecutors say Shimato, who met Ms Pornchanok in April and became her companion, was killed at the woman's house in the Orchid Villa housing estate in Samut Prakan's Bang Sao Thong district.
Earlier, she took him from a hospital in Bangkok's Bang Na district where he was treated for an illness on Sept 21.
They say Ms Pornchanok and Mr Somchai killed Shimato at the house by stabbing him with a 15-inch knife and pressing a pillow against his face, suffocating him.
Mr Somchai allegedly cut Shimato's body into pieces and dumped them in Khlong Nang Thing in Bang Bo district. The body parts were retrieved from the canal on Oct 22.
Mr Somchai, who said Ms Pornchanok asked him by phone to come to her house, earlier admitted killing the teacher, cutting up his body to conceal it, and stealing his assets.
However, he denied using Shimato's ATM cards to withdraw his money.
Prosecutors found Ms Pornchanok was the one who withdrew 520,000 baht from an ATM.
She allegedly disguised herself by wearing a wig, sunglasses and hat while she made several cash withdrawals.
Prosecutors also claim Ms Pornchanok and Mr Somchai stole items worth 41,500 baht from Shimato, including a laptop, luggage and a brand-name leather bag.
Ms Pornchanok denied the charges.
She claimed she did not kill Shimato, did not snatch his valuables and did not use his ATM cards.
Ms Pornchanok has been jailed at the Central Women Correctional Institution and Mr Somchai at Bangkok Remand Prison since October.