Prosecutors to indict former minister for billionaire's murder

Prosecutors to indict former minister for billionaire's murder

Former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn is escorted to the Phra Khanong court in June 2016 following his arrest in Nakhon Ratchasima province in connection with the murder of construction tycoon Chuwong Sae Tang.
Former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn is escorted to the Phra Khanong court in June 2016 following his arrest in Nakhon Ratchasima province in connection with the murder of construction tycoon Chuwong Sae Tang.

Public prosecutors have agreed to indict former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn for the murder of billionaire property developer Chuwong sae Tang in 2015, police said on Friday.

The announcement wraps up a long-running, high-profile investigation also involving alleged fraud in the ownership of a large portfolio of shares after the victim's death.

Pol Col Chakrit Sawasdee, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said prosecutors had seen the CSD case report and agreed to press a charge of colluding in premeditated murder.

They had told the CSD to bring Mr Banyin in for indictment by June 15.

The deputy commander said the CSD would summons Pol Lt Col (retired) Banyin to report at 9am on June 8 and then take him to the public prosecutors.

Chuwong, 50, was found dead in the front passenger seat after Pol Lt Col Banyin drove his Lexus SUV into a tree in Prawet district, Bangkok, on June 26, 2015.  Pol Lt Col Banyin survived the incident unscathed. The vehicle suffered minor damage.

Police at Udomsuk station initially attributed the death to the crash. The CSD took over the investigation and suspected Pol Lt Col Banyin of colluding in murder and that the accident was a set up to cover the murder.

Pol Col Chakrit said public prosecutors agreed with the CSD's finding after several rounds of requesting additional investigation and information.

The deputy commander said that Chuwong was clubbed to death. Before the death, Pol Lt Col Banyin had invited Chuwong to a round of golf that night. Police were looking into how many accomplices were involved, Pol Col Chakrit said.

The murder motive was the fraudulent ownership of a portfolio of shares, he said.

The case involved Pol Lt Col Banyin, who had known Chuwong for a few years before his death, and three women. They were suspected of stealing Chuwong's stocks using forged documents.

Chuwong's family earlier filed their own case in court, accusing Pol Lt Col Banyin of murder.

Pol Col Chakrit said he expected the two cases would be combined.

Pol Lt Col Banyin was earlier released on bail of 5 million baht and prohibited from leaving the country in the documents forgery case.

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