The head of the police investigation team handling the Akeyuth Anchanbutr murder case defended the integrity of one of his detectives who was a former suspect in the disappearance of a Muslim human rights lawyers nine years ago.
Napanwut: Can’t understand the fuss
"The police officer who was involved in the case of lawyer Somchai has been proved in court to be innocent and he has been reinstated to the police service," Pol Maj Gen Thitirat Nonghanpitak said yesterday.
"People in the service recognise him as a capable detective and he works well with other officers in the investigative team.
"So we have assigned him to this case," the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) added. He was referring to Pol Col Napanwut Liumsanguan, commander of the MPB's Children and Women Protection Sub-Division.
Pol Col Napanwut was a suspect in the disappearance of Muslim lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit nine years ago.
Pol Maj Gen Thitirat confirmed that police still assumed Akeyuth had been murdered for money. However, detectives are looking for other possible motives, he said.
Investigators are checking the background and past career of Santiphap Pengduang, Mr Akeyuth's driver who is a suspect in the murder case, to find if other people were involved.
Pol Col Napanwut declined to comment on criticism of him in connection with the disappearance of Mr Somchai.
He said he tried to do his best in performing his duties. "I do not understand why there is an issue when I can arrest culprits quickly," Pol Col Napanwut said.