The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) has stepped in to help probe a case in which a school teacher and a retired police officer in Kanchanaburi both claim they own a bundle of lottery tickets which won first prize totalling 30 million baht on Nov 1.
Pol Col Phumin Poompanmuang, commander of the CSD's 5th Sub-Division, said on Sunday he instructed Pol Lt Col Monchai Penglert, the sub-division's inspector, to seek evidence related to the case. He said the CSD would initially focus on shedding light on the story. It would only support the work of the local police handling the case.
Preecha Kraikruan, a teacher of Thepmongkhonrangsi School in Muang district, claimed he won the first prize from a bundle of five lottery tickets, which went missing. The 50-year-old man later filed a police complaint about the disappearance of the tickets.
Pol Lt Jaroon Wimol, the retired police officer, was later found to have claimed the prize from the winning lottery tickets at the Government Lottery Office. Both men insisted they bought the winning tickets. They both claimed they purchased the lottery from sellers at the "Red City" flea market in Muang district.
The teacher later asked to settle the case by splitting the prize, but Pol Lt Jaroon disagreed and insisted he was the real lottery owner.
Meanwhile, Ratanaporn Supathip, a lottery seller who claimed she sold the winning tickets to Mr Preecha, reportedly has not showed up at the market again since the case caught media attention.
Pol Lt Jaroon's lawyer, Sittra Biabangkerd, said he and his client will file a complaint at Muang Kanchanaburi police station today against Ms Ratanaporn and other lottery sellers in the market for selling overpriced tickets.
Officers will be asked to check whether lottery wholesalers distributed overpriced tickets to Ms Ratanaporn, adding if they are found to have violated the laws, they could have their rights to distribute lottery revoked.
A police complaint would also be filed against Mr Preecha, who claimed he lost the winning tickets, for supplying false information to officers.
As to why Pol Lt Jaroon did not petition the court to unfreeze his money derived from the lottery prize, Mr Sittra said his client insisted the sum would eventually belong to him anyway and he is not in a hurry to use the money.