Another 26 people are being summonsed by Crime Suppression Division police for questioning about the embezzlement of 1.47 billion baht from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Latkrabang (KMITL), as investigators try to trackdown the missing money.
Police investigators are still trying to track down the missing money from the prestigious public university, KMITL.
CSD deputy chief Pol Col Nos Sawetlek, who heads the police team investigating the KMITL case, said it was now clear that a total of 1.474 billion baht was missing from five of the university's accounts at Siam Commercial Bank.
The 26 new people to be questioned fall into three groups: employees of seven companies founded by Kittisak Muttujad, the accused mastermind of the embezzlement; Mr Kittisak’s mother and cousins, who have received altogether about eight million baht; and Mr Kittisak’s sister, her boyfriend and other people in close relationship who also received from one to 10 million baht each.
The CSD on Monday questioned Sukrit Kiewnanjai, an employee of Muttujad Co who has looked after Mr Kittisak’s investment in an entertainment parlor, Street Pub.
Mr Sukrit told the police that he was responsible for the operation of the Street Pub from the beginning. Mr Mr Kittisak would instruct him to transfer money for payments for the construction of the establishment, which began in February 2014. There was a total investment of about 100 million baht.
He also transferred money to other people as instructed by Mr Kittisak, he said, but he denied knowledge of the purpose of the money transfers.
Pol Col Nos said a KMITL lecturer was also questioned about 5.5 million baht transferred to his account from Songklod Sriprasong, former manager of Bank of Ayudhya’s Big C Srinakarin branch, who has been arrested in this case.
The lecturer told the police that he was persuaded by Mr Songklod that an investment of five million baht would bring a good return, but after five years there was no return and so he asked for his money back. The money was transferred back to his account.
Investigators are waiting for doumentary proof from the lecturer, otherwise the money would be seized and considered to be part of the missing KMITL money, Pol Col Nos said.
So far, the police had been unable to arrest Mr Kittisak, despite reports he had intended to return to Thailand on Monday. Police were coordinating their search for him with other agencies, he said.