Thaksin 'didn't plan murder'

Thaksin 'didn't plan murder'

EX-PM TO SUE LAWYER OVER CLAIMS HE WAS BEHIND AKEYUTH SLAYING

Ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will file a libel suit against Suwat Apaipak, the former lawyer of slain businessman Akeyuth Anchanbutr, for saying a man allegedly behind the murder was linked to him.

‘NOT CLOSE TO THAKSIN’: Somchai Jitpreedakorn turns up at the Metropolitan Police Bureau to deny any link to the murder of Akeyuth Anchanbutr.

Thaksin's legal adviser, Noppadol Pattama, said yesterday he had assigned his lawyer to lodge a complaint on behalf of Thaksin against Mr Suwat, as well as Achara Saengkhao, another lawyer who worked with Mr Suwat, for allegedly defaming Thaksin.

Mr Noppadol says the comments were intended to make the public believe Thaksin was behind the murder of Akeyuth.

Previously, Mr Suwat and Ms Achara told a press conference that on July 26 Ms Achara met Santiphap Pengduang, a key suspect, at a prison and the suspect retracted his confession of killing Akeyuth.

They claimed Mr Santiphap, Akeyuth's driver, told Ms Achara that he was hired for 3 million baht by his former boss, Somchai Jitpreedakorn, to join a team to kill Akeyuth.

Ms Achana also said Mr Santiphap told her that when he drove a car carrying Akeyuth's body to Phatthalung, he did not see any police security checkpoints along the way and some official vehicles even took turns to lead his car to the destination.

She claimed that Mr Santiphap gave her this information because he had not been paid in full for his role in the crime.

But Mr Noppadol said this was not true and the story was conjured up by Mr Suwat and Ms Achara.

Thaksin knew a lot of people and many of them had taken photos of themselves with him, Mr Noppadol said, adding that Mr Somchai was not a close aide of Thaksin.

Thaksin had sometimes seen Mr Somchai overseas in business circles, Mr Noppadol said.

Thaksin had not ordered or asked Mr Somchai to kill Akeyuth, he said.

He also said he had learned that Mr Somchai would also file a lawsuit against the two lawyers.

Mr Somchai, who owns Treeview Co that produces computer microprocessors, met Metropolitan Police chief Khamronwit Thoopkrajang yesterday, accompanied by his lawyer.

He said he did not know either Mr Santiphap or Thaksin personally and he was considering suing those who had damaged his reputation by saying he had something to do with Akeyuth's death.

Mr Somchai, however, admitted that Mr Santiphap had briefly worked at his company, but he and the suspect did not work closely together.

He said he had never entered the Pheu Thai Party headquarters, as claimed by Mr Suwat and Ms Achara.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Anuchai Lekbumrung insisted yesterday there was no record of Mr Suwat's representative visiting Mr Santiphap at prison, as claimed, and Mr Santiphap stood firm on his confession to police.

He said investigators submitted the 1,436-page investigation report to prosecutors on Thursday.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said the suspect insisted that he had not met Mr Suwat, nor any of the lawyer's representatives, since arriving at Bangkok Remand Prison.

National police chief Adul Saengsingkaew said there was no need to review the investigation.

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