PATTAYA: The fourth suspect in the murder of a German businessman claims he was forced to help his co-accused and fears for his life if he is placed in the same prison as the alleged mastermind of the gruesome crime, his family says.
Shahrukh Karim Uddin, 27, a Pakistani with Thai nationality, insisted he did not kill Hans-Peter Mack, whose dismembered body was found in a freezer at a rented house in Pattaya.
During questioning at the Nong Prue police station in Chon Buri, the suspect showed sign of stress but cooperated fully with police. He denied all charges and said he would give his statement in court. His lawyer and relatives were present during the lengthy questioning overnight.
Pol Maj Wachirawit Wisutsereephan, investigation chief with the Nong Prue police, on Friday took the suspect to the Pattaya Provincial Court to seek court approval to detain him.
On seeing reporters, the 27-year-old suspect shouted out, “I’m afraid, I didn’t do it and I didn’t kill.”
Mr Uddin was arrested at a hotel in Kanchanaburi on Wednesday afternoon while preparing to flee across the border to Myanmar, said police.
Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann, 52, the alleged ringleader in the crime, was arrested earlier along with two German women: Petra Christl Grundgreif, 54; and Nicole Frevel, 52. All three denied any involvement.
Surveillance camera video showed Mr Uddin sitting in the bed of a pickup truck next to a freezer containing the dismembered body of Mack, 62. The suspect was also seen in CCTV video with Mr Brinkmann as they bought some gear at a fishing supplies shop in Chon Buri.
An officer escorts suspect Shahrukh Karim Uddin from the Nong Prue police station for an appearance in Pattaya Provincial Court on Friday. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
Police seized a speedboat belonging to Mr Brinkmann from a house on Phra Tamnak Soi 5 in Pattaya on Wednesday night.
Investigators believe he and Mr Uddin were planning to go to sea and dump Mack’s body overboard to destroy evidence. However, the dismembered body of the victim was found at a rented house in tambon Nong Prue on Monday night — six days after the German property broker went missing.
Shahriyar Karim Uddin, 30, the suspect’s elder brother, said his brother was gripped with fear and wanted to seek justice. The suspect claimed he had been forced by Mr Brinkmann to help him.
His family was worried about Mr Uddin’s safety if he is sent to the same prison as Mr Brinkmann. They fear he might be silenced, said the brother.
The family plans to petition deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn to seek justice for Mr Uddin, said his brother.
Mrs Patt, 56, the suspect’s mother, said she was confident that her son was not involved in the murder. She believes the mastermind had plotted to make her son a scapegoat.
A source familiar with the investigation said Mr Uddin had told police that Ms Grundgreif had asked him to open a pool villa to hold a party for a VIP guest on July 4. On that day, Mr Brinkmann and Ms Grundgreif and Mack arrived and went inside. Mr Uddin said he had been told to wait outside.
After waiting for more than three hours, Mr Uddin decided to go inside the villa. On opening the door, he found Mack lying unconscious on sofa. He then asked the two Germans what they were doing. Mr Brinkmann pushed him against the wall and used a gun to threaten him.
The German man allegedly threatened to abduct his younger sister and his wife and traffic them to Cambodia if he did not cooperate. Mr Uddin also alleged that Mr Brinkmann had threatened to kill his parents in Phuket if he betrayed the gang.
Police are still compiling witness testimony and forensic evidence to prosecute the prime suspect.
Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann, 52, the alleged mastermind of the murder, is arrested at a pub in Bangkok on Tuesday night. (Photo supplied/Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
Petra Grundgreif, one of the three German suspects in the killing of Hans-Peter Mack, arrives at the Nong Prue police station on Tuesday. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)