Police have filed charges against the mother of a prime suspect in the 1.4-billion-baht embezzlement scandal at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), alleging she helped her son launder stolen money.
Policewomen flank Radom Muttujad (in blue) after asking her to help with their investigation of the embezzlement of 1.4 billion baht from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. She said she received millions of baht from her fugitive son Kittisak, but knows nothing about the source of the windfall. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Radom Muttujad, mother of Kittisak who is still at large, was summoned to meet Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers Monday.
Ms Radom is accused of stealing and laundering money, said CSD deputy chief Pol Col Nos Sawetlek.
However, the 56-year-old suspect from Phichit denied the allegations, claiming she has no knowledge of the scam.
"I don't believe that my son is that type of person," she said.
Mr Kittisak entered the UK on Dec 25 last year, days after the institute filed a complaint with the CSD against the first two suspects in the money embezzlement plot — Songklod Sriprasong, 40, former manager of Bank of Ayudhya's Big C Srinakarin branch, and Amporn Noisamrit, 56, head of the institute's financial division.
Mr Kittisak is wanted by police as he is believed to know the identity of the mastermind behind the embezzlement scandal, as well as additional information about the stolen money, which is believed to have been changed into assets, including luxury cars and land.
Police say their investigation had found that Mr Kittisak had transferred a large sum of money to his mother's bank account and asked her to buy plots of land and other valuables worth over 100 million baht during 2011 and 2012.
One key piece of evidence is the transfer of 6.2 million baht from the KMITL to her bank account, said Pol Col Nos.
Investigators suspect the asset purchases were attempts to cover up money laundering.
Ms Radom admitted that her son had given her a large amount of money to buy land.
"I simply did what he asked me to do without knowing where the money came from," said Ms Radom.
She said she asked him about the source of the money, but her son said he had earned it.
Police are unconvinced that Ms Radom is as ignorant as she claims because they have strong evidence of her involvement in the scam, said acting CSD chief Akkaradet Pimonsri.
Officers will handle the case carefully and ensure she is treated fairly, he said.
Police will ask Min Buri Provincial Court today to detain Ms Radom in custody.
The investigators have found no evidence to implicate Mr Kittisak's younger sister, Chutharat Patphai, and her husband in the case, but planned to seek more arrest warrants for those linked to the embezzlement.
The officers found Mr Kittisak had asked Mr Songklod to transfer money to Suraphop Tangpradit, a gold shop owner in Phichit, in payment for ornaments.
However, Mr Suraphop was cleared Monday of any involvement in the irregularities as he was able to clarify why the money was transferred to him, Pol Col Nos said.
Meanwhile, KMITL's director of legal affairs Worawan Suwannakut filed a new complaint with the CSD after discovering another 100 million baht had disappeared from its Siam Commercial Bank's KMITL branch in 2012.