Police have obtained arrest warrants for the wife of Jakkrit Panichpatikum and her mother over the killing of the former national sports shooter.
Dr Nitiwadee Pucharoenyos, Jakkrit’s widow, and her mother Surang Duangchinda will meet Social Development and Human Security Minister Paveena Hongsakul, at her office on Monday at 11am, and will be led by Mrs Paveena to report to police, reports said.
The warrants were issued followed the arrest of a second suspect in the case, Voraphanpuree Montree-areekul, 46.
Ms Voraphanpuree, who has been a client at Dr Nitiwadee’s beauty clinic for seven years, was accused of brokering the murder for hire on behalf of Mrs Surang.
She claimed Mrs Surang sought her help on how to get rid of Jakkrit because of his violent domestic behaviour and that he frequently assaulted her daughter. She then introduced the 72-year-old woman to her 28-year-old personal lawyer, Santi Thongsem, who was able to find a team of hitmen to kill the former national athlete.
She said Mrs Surang paid 1.2 million baht for the assassination team, but she did not receive any money, adding she only helped because she had been close to the mother and daughter and pitied them.
The suspect said she and Mrs Surang engineered the murder plan from the start, while Dr Nitiwadee only learned about it at her husband’s funeral.
Mr Santi has told police he will surrender to Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang but there is no confirmation about when that will happen.
Police on Friday arrested a man identified as Jirasak Klinkhlai, who allegedly fired the shots that killed Jakkrit.
They are tracking down Thawatchai Phetchoti, who allegedly drove Mr Jirasak on a motorcycle during the fatal shooting last month.