STOCK MARKET
Police plan to arrest one more suspect over rumours
- Published: 3/11/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Police plan to seek a warrant Tuesday for the arrest of a third person suspected of involvement in the spreading of rumours that led the stock market to plunge last month.
Pol Col Pisit Pao-in, deputy chief of the Royal Thai Police's Hi-Tech Crime Centre, yesterday said documents and information would be submitted to a court today seeking approval for the warrant.
Two suspects in the case arrested on Sunday have been released on bail.
Central Investigation Bureau chief Tha-ngai Prasajaksatru said there were two other people believed to be involved in the case and police were considering seeking warrants for their arrest.
A police source said one of the suspects being targeted worked at a hospital.
The rumour about the state of the His Majesty the King's health caused the stock market to plunge 7% during trading on Oct 14 and 15.
His Majesty was admitted to Siriraj Hospital in mid-September for treatment for inflammation of the lungs.
Today's editorial: Criminals or scapegoats?
The rumours began to subside after the Royal Household Bureau issued an announcement that the King's health was improving.
Thiranant Wipuchanin, 43, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport on Sunday after returning from a trip to Vienna.
Katha Pajajiriyapong, 37, an employee of KT ZMICO Securities, was arrested on Silom Road on the same day.
They have been charged with violating Article 14 of the 2007 Computer Offences Act, covering the posting of false information which causes damage to national security and alarms the public.
The two have been released on bail of 100,000 baht each and have been barred from leaving the country.
Pol Lt Gen Tha-ngai said police were trying to determine the motive behind the posting of the information.
He said the penalty for violating the law was a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
There was no initial evidence suggesting the posting of the information by the two was politically motivated, Pol Lt Gen Tha-ngai said.
Ms Thiranant, a former executive director of UBS Securities (Thailand) who resigned from the company a year ago, told police she simply translated information from a foreign news website and posted it onto a local website.
Pol Maj Gen Kriangsak Aroonsrisophon, chief of the Hi-Tech Crime Division under the Central Investigation Bureau, said the two had admitted they obtained and translated the information from a foreign news website and posted it on a local website.
Pol Maj Gen Kriangsak said the two did not know each other.
Police are examining information on the computers seized from the suspects' homes and offices.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said the DSI would be responsible for looking into whether the two had violated the Securities and Exchange Act by manipulating the share market.
About the author
- Writer: Post Reporters
- Position: Reporters
