NCPO holding 76, freezes assets of four more

NCPO holding 76, freezes assets of four more

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is still detaining 76 people who have turned themselves in, and has frozen the assets of four other people who defied its order to report to the junta leaders.

 

A car is seen entering the Royal Army office in Thewes on Tuesday. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Army deputy spokesman Winthai Suwaree said on Wednesday that since the May 22 coup the NCPO had summoned 253 people, 200 of them had so far surrendered and 53 had not, including those who had reported reasons for their absence.

Of the 200 who showed up, the NCPO released 124 and detained 76.

The NCPO is monitoring the behaviour of the released people and asks them to refrain from expressing political opinions. If they need to go abroad, they must inform the NCPO first.

Col Winthai said the NCPO had frozen all financial transactions by four people — Charupong Ruangsuwan, former interior minister and leader of the Pheu Thai Party, Chaturon Chaisaeng, former education minister and key figure of Pheu Thai, Prasit Chaisrisa, former Pheu Thai MP for Surin, and red-shirt activist Sombat Boonngam-anong —  because they failed to answer the NCPO summons.

 

Col Winthai said that Mr Chaturon's defiance of the NCPO's order was obvious before he was arrested and it would take time for his case to be tried in the military court.

Pending trial, Mr Chaturon would be detained, the deputy spokesman said.

The 1st Army and the Royal Thai Police Office were tracing people defying the NCPO's orders, he said.

Col Winthai said that if the summoned people agreed to join efforts to bring about national development, the country would benefit from their input.

He denied that former deputy prime minister Pracha Promnok was arrested. He said Pol Gen Pracha had been asked to surrender when he was overseas.

The detention of some red-shirt movement leaders like Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut Saikuar and Veerakarn Musikapong reached its seventh day on Wednesday, the maximum.

The deputy spokesman also said that the NCPO reduced the curfew from 10pm-5am to midnight-4am to help people get on with their lives, and if situation improves the curfew would be further reduced.

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