Police chase new lead in tycoon killing

Police chase new lead in tycoon killing

Images of the two gunmen suspects are distributed from the police. (Bangkok Post photo)
Images of the two gunmen suspects are distributed from the police. (Bangkok Post photo)

Police investigating the murder of former night entertainment tycoon Somyos Suthangkura have found another clue relating to an alleged 15 million baht swindle.

They said a woman had earlier filed a complaint against Somyos for allegedly conning her out of the money after he offered to help her settle a legal case in 2013.

Acting Crime Suppression Division chief Akkaradech Pimolsri yesterday said the woman, identified only as "Moh", filed a police report against Somyos about two years ago.

She claimed Somyos charged her 15 million baht but the businessman failed to help her settle the legal case as he had promised.

Pol Col Akkaradech did not go into details about the case.

He said police had narrowed down the motives to three possibilities related to gambling money; land in the Rama IV area; and a legal case settlement.

Police also said they had neither detained nor pressed charges against a military chief of staff named Nu, or Somchai Nittaya aka Sia Lek, a former husband of Somyos' business partner Supanida Norarat. 

Both were freed after police found no evidence linking them to the murder.

However, police have not ruled out feuds over money embezzlement for gambling.

Ms Supanida earlier admitted Somyos had a conflict over money with Mr Somchai as she had cheated Somyos out of about 11 million baht and given the money to Mr Somchai, who had spent the money on gambling. 

She said Somyot operated a legal advisory business and was paid 11 million baht as the first instalment by a client to help settle a legal case.

Somyos gave the money to Ms Supanida to pay on his behalf, but she passed the sum to Mr Somchai. 

Somyos later sent Seh Nu to demand the money back from Mr Somchai, threatening that if he refused to return the money, he would send the military chief of staff back to abduct him.

A source said police will also summon Mr Somchai's relatives, Parinya Piyapark and Riem Nittaya, for questioning.  

Somyos was gunned down in a restaurant car park in Bangkok's Suan Luang district after he dined with his wife on Monday.

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