Crime-fighters are seeking cooperation from Interpol to hunt a key suspect in the 1.6-billion-baht King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) embezzlement scam.
The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) has asked Interpol to help arrest Kittisak Muttujad, a fugitive suspect who is now believed to have fled from Hong Kong.
Police are currently investigating his whereabouts.
CSD’s deputy chief Pol Col Nos Sawetlek said police have been compiling evidence to ask the Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Mr Kittisak and another suspect, Somphong Sahapornudomkarn. The warrants are expected to be issued this week.
Mr Somphong has told police he will turn himself in but has not informed them of the date and time.
Pol Col Nos said another two suspects, Sombat Sopradit and her daughter Chanchira Sopradit, have given confusing statements, and he suspected they were withholding some information.
Ms Chanchira said money in her account, transferred to her by Mr Kittisak, was for his football betting.
She said her assets were earned from her boyfriend’s chicken farm in Suphan Buri and her eyebrow tattoo shop.
However, her statement did not match with police evidence which indicated that the money in her and account, and her mother’s, accounts had been transferred directly from KMITL’s account.
The Min Buri Court has denied the pair bail because of the severity of the embezzlement charges.
Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong said the KMITL must clarify the case. All those found involved in the embezzlement must be punished according to the law to prevent the same mistakes happening again, he said.
Every institute normally has reliable financial procedures, with some having their own scrutiny committee.
They should focus more on officials who engage in corrupt practices. From now on, the financial mechanisms of every institute will be examined by the Auditor-General’s Office regularly, Mr Yongyuth added.
The scandal drew media attention nationwide after the KMITL discovered financial irregularities between 2012 and 2014.
The management filed a complaint with the CSD last December against Songklod Sriprasong, former manager of Bank of Ayudhya’s Big C Srinakarin branch, and Amporn Noisamrit, head of the KMITL’s financial division.
Apart from the two main suspects, Mr Songklod and Ms Amporn, police also pressed charges of document forgery, theft and money laundering against six accomplices.
Of the six suspects, police have arrested Poonsak Boonsawat and Jariwat Sahapornudomkarn.