The Bangkok Military Court issued arrest warrants Wednesday for three more suspects -- a soldier and two police officers -- in connection with a high-profile lese majeste case.
One of the new suspects was Maj Gen Suchart Prommai, a former army expert and former close associate of Deputy Defence Minister and former army chief Gen Udomdej Sitabutr.
The other two suspects were identified in the warrants as Pol Col Pairoj Rojanakhajorn, a former chief of the Crime Suppression Division's (CSD) Sub-Division 2, and Pol Lt Col Thammawat Hiranyalekha, deputy chief of the CSD's Sub-Division 2.
A source said the three suspects were found to have cited the monarchy to obtain benefits from other people.
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Police investigators found that Maj Gen Suchart had colluded with Col Khachachart "Seh Jo" Boondee in soliciting money they claimed would be used to fund the production of T-shirts, said the source, referring to the "Bike for Mom" event in August.
Col Khachachart is already sought on an arrest warrant for his role in Suriyan "Mor Yong" Sucharitpolwong's alleged lese majeste network and was also linked to alleged corruption in the Rajabhakti Park project. The colonel is still on the run.
Pol Col Pairoj was found in a police investigation to have colluded with Pol Maj Prakrom Warunprapa, another key suspect in the lese majeste case, in committing the crime, the source said. Pol Maj Prakrom and Suriyan died while in military custody.
Pol Lt Col Thammawat, meanwhile, was found to have cited the monarchy to solicit money from several business operators who earned advertisement fees from public relations and advertising campaigns for the Bike for Mom event that were aired on TV, the source said.
Two more arrest warrants would be sought for two other police officers linked to the lese majeste case. The suspects are Pol Col Siwapong Patpongpanich, a deputy chief of the CSD, and Pol Lt Col Jeerawat Boonwathanaporn, a police inspector attached to the Highway Police Sub-Division 2, the source said.