NAKHON PHANOM: Police were on Friday finalising their report on two of the 11 suspects in the perjury case involving former teacher Jomsap Saenmuangkhot's bid for a retrial of her conviction for a fatal hit-and-run.
The cases against Sap Wapee, an alleged hired scapegoat, and his wife, Jan, were to be handed to prosecutors at the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court.
The nine other suspects are Jomsap; Niran, her husband; Suriya Nualcharoen, Saneh Suphan and Rotjana Chantharat, all Jomsap’s friends; Thatsanee Hanphayak and Thongret Wongsricha, both witnesses in the retrial bid; Watsana Phetthong, who is Jomsap’s nephew; and Thanat Suktalodpee, her lawyer.
Pol Maj Gen Thanasak Ritthidetphaibul, deputy chief of Police Region 4, said investigators will speed up the gathering of evidence and finalise the cases against the remaining nine.
According to officials, a total 13 people were summoned for questioning in connection with the rejected request for a retrial.
Charges have been brought against 11, and the two others - Lert Wapee and Boontheng Wapee - have been secluded as witnesses in the case.
All 11 have been charged with providing false information to investigators and false testimony in court as well as being involved with a criminal association. Mr Thanat faces an additional charge of fabricating false evidence for the retrial.
Jomsap and Mr Suriya are now in the second period of detention, at Nakhon Phanom Central Prison, awaiting trial after the court denied bail. They others were temporarily freed.
Police said legal action has now been brought against all the suspects in the alleged scapegoating. No additional arrest warrants have been issued.
The investigation was launched after a man admitted to police he was paid to say that he was driving the pickup involved in the 2005 accident, in which an elderly cyclist was killed, and not Jomsap.
On Thursday, a police-fact finding panel set up by Provincial Police Region 4, which oversees the Northeast, also accused 14 officials of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) of dereliction of duty in connection with the case.
Pol Maj Gen Thanasak said they were accused of acting recklessly for failing to inform the DSI and the Justice Ministry of irregularities during the gathering of evidence to submit to court in support of the case for a retrial.
Their acts were considered dereliction of duty which caused damage to the state.
The investigation results would be forwarded to the Justice Ministry and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, he said.