The Min Buri Provincial Court on Saturday approved a police request to detain a key suspect in the 1.5-billion-baht King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) embezzlement case for 12 days.
Pol Lt Col Opas Bamrungthin, an investigator with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), told the court that officers needed more time to question Kittisak Matthujad, 30. He will be held until June 3.
Police also opposed bail for the suspect as the embezzlement case involved many people and the damage caused was high. If released on bail, the suspect might have fled and tampered with evidence, they said.
The court approved the request and set June 22 for the first hearing.
Mr Kittisak was wanted on a court warrant issued on Dec 26 last year on charges of theft, falsifying documents and supporting state officials in committing theft.
He was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport early Friday after police were notified by UK authorites that he was flying back on a Thai Airways International flight from London, where he had been since Chritmas.
Mr Kittisak is accused of receiving embezzled university funds from Songklod Sriprasong, 40, a former manager at Siam Commercial Bank and Bank of Ayudhya. The ex-manager also was said to have transferred money to four friends and a relative of Mr Kittisak.
During the initial police interrogation, he denied all charges.
Mr Kittisak is the latest of 12 suspects link to the embezzlement network to be arrested. The others include former KMITL rector Thawil Puengma, 61, and his then assistant Sunpasit Limnararat.
No relatives or lawyers for Mr Kittisak arrived at the court on Saturday to apply for bail for him. He was later taken to the Min Buri Remand Prison.