Police claim to foil plot against privy councillor

Police say they have foiled a plot to assassinate privy councillor and former supreme court president Charnchai Likitjitta.

Charnchai: No idea why he was marked

Three suspects were arrested near the councillor's home on Soi Suk Sawat 66 in Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province, on Monday and a fourth, an army major, was arrested late last night at the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bang Khen district.

An arrest warrant for a fifth suspect identified only as Jack has also been issued.

The first three taken into custody were identified as Panupong Ratanapaiboon, 32, Sakchai sae Lim, 29, and Kamik Sukkanchanakas, 33, deputy national police chief Jongrak Jutanont said.

Police seized a 38-calibre pistol, 10 bullets and a motorcycle from the suspects.

"The suspects confessed that they were hired to gun down a businessman over some problem in the North," Pol Gen Jongrak said yesterday.

"The real motive for having Mr Charnchai killed is still not known."

Sources said a police informant learned about the alleged assassination plot when his gang was contracted to carry out the killing.

The gang was told the target was a businessman who was to be killed over a conflict of interest in Chiang Mai province. The gang was allegedly paid 130,000 baht and supplied with the target's address and his car licence plate number.

The money was delivered to the gang together with a pistol which was to be used in the murder, the informant said.

When the informant ran a check he found the licence plate number was registered to the Royal Household Bureau. When the information was cross-checked with the Department of Special Investigation, it was found the vehicle belonged to Mr Charnchai.

That was when police caught the suspects.

After a night-long interrogation, investigators said a group of people in uniform allegedly hatched the plot and wanted to use the murder to trigger national unrest. The order for the murder was issued through an army officer, they said.

The fourth suspect, Maj Thienchai Muang-janthuek, an officer attached to the army secretariat, was arrested late last night.

Police believe the mastermind is an officer with a rank higher than major.

Senior police officers will question Mr Charnchai at his home this morning.

He was the justice minister in the government headed by Gen Surayud Chulanont, who replaced Thaksin Shinawatra after the Sept 19, 2006, coup d'etat.

Mr Charnchai yesterday said he had no idea why anyone would want him killed.

He said he would now be extra careful and said Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda had been told of the assassination plot.