Police have submitted their investigation report to prosecutors to request indictments for celebrity lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd and six other suspects on fraud and money laundering charges
Pol Col Phumphat Namphutsa, investigation chief of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), on Friday handed the 9,317-page report to deputy attorney-general Natthaphong Phutkaew.
The seven suspects are Mr Sittra, alias “Lawyer Tam”, 44; his wife Patthitta Biabungkerd, 41; Ms Patthitta’s elder sister Pinthira Kariwan; Nuwat Yongyut, 34; Sarinee Nutchanart, 32; and two showroom staff of a car company who allegedly colluded with the lawyer to falsify documents.
Pol Col Phumphat said Mr Sittra committed offences both inside and outside Thailand. The three offences outside the country were fraud involving a fake online lottery with damage of 71 million baht, a 39-million-baht fraud involving cryptocurrency, and the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz G400 on which the lawyer reportedly made a profit of 1.53 million baht.
The offences inside the country involved a hotel design scheme from which Mr Sittra and the others were accused of reaping profits of 5.5 million baht.
Pol Col Phumphat said the two suspects who were accused of falsifying documents were asked to report to prosecutors on Friday to face additional charges of forging documents for the purchase of the Mercedes-Benz.
Ms Pinthira, who was granted bail, was not taken to report to prosecutors, said Pol Col Phumphat.
Mr Natthaphong said prosecutors would forward the report to the Office of the Attorney-General, which would set up a panel to consider the case before the timeframe for the suspects’ detention expires on Jan 30.
Mr Sittra and his wife have been in custody since their arrest on Nov 7.
Jatuporn “Madame Oy” Ubonlert earlier filed a fraud complaint with police against Mr Sittra and was questioned by investigators several times before arrest warrants were issued for the lawyer and the others.
The 58-year-old native of Nakhon Ratchasima lives with her French husband in France and won a EuroMillions lottery jackpot worth several billion baht there.
Police earlier seized assets worth over 70 million baht, including 28 million baht cash, a luxury home worth 43 million baht and several high-end vehicle, from Mr Sittra.