Plot thickens in casino murder case

Plot thickens in casino murder case

Police suspect at least two guns may have been used to shoot gambler

Police suspect at least two guns may have been used to shoot to death Thavorn Seesod, the gunman who had slain three other people at an illegal casino on Bangkok on Monday night.

The man, Phiphit Srisuwan, 61, alias "Boy Baan Khrua" surrendered himself to police on Friday. Accused of killing Thavorn, he insisted he acted alone.

Police yesterday took Mr Phiphit to the Bangkok South Criminal Court to seek his detention in connection with the fatal shooting in a building off Rama III Road in Bangkok.

The officers opposed bail, saying he posed a flight risk or might interfere with evidence if released.

Pol Maj Gen Saharat Saksilpachai, deputy city police chief supervising the investigation, said yesterday the police were waiting for result of the autopsy as experts were looking into the size of the bullets lodged in Thavorn's body.

At this stage, the police suspect at least two guns may have been used to shoot Thavorn, a gambler in casino. Mr Phiphit has been charged with murder, illegal possession of firearms, carrying them in public and using them. Police said the suspect confessed to all charges.

City police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Phukphong Phongpetra said yesterday Mr Phiphit handed over to police the 9mm pistol he used to shoot Thavorn. He told investigators he could not remember how many shots he fired although he maintained he did so in self-defence.

Police also brought Thanaboon Saraluek, 46, to the Bangkok South Criminal Court to begin his first 12-day detention period on a charge of colluding to remove and dispose of gambling equipment at the casino after the shooting.

However, the court granted him bail on 200,000-baht surety.

Mr Phiphit is at the centre of a case that has captured public attention because one of the victims of the gunman he is accused of killing was a policeman. The initial police response to inquiries was to question whether the venue where the slayings occurred really was a gambling den.

The fact that the security cameras were hastily dismantled before police arrived to investigate the killings added to the intrigue.

During the interrogation, Mr Phiphit confessed to having shot Thavorn who was gambling at the venue. He claimed Thavorn had shot dead Pol Maj Watthanaset Samnianprasert, a 32-year-old interrogation inspector with Samae Dam police station, who was also gambling there. Mr Phiphit then shot Thavorn before fleeing.

It was reported Thavorn had accused a poker dealer of deliberately distributing him cards to make him lose the game. Having lost one million baht in the bet, he took out the pistol and shot at the female dealer, her colleague and Pol Maj Watthanaset who was intervening to calm the tension. The victims died at the scene.

Thavorn was then shot by Mr Phiphit who said he was not working at the gambling den as reported but was a regular customer who was gambling there on the night.

He heard gunfire and said he saw Thavorn aiming randomly as he opened fire. At one point, he said, Thavorn aimed at him, so he used a pistol he was carrying to fire shots in self-defence.

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