Three Thai men suspected of being nominees for a Chinese state-owned construction firm, a major partner in the collapsed state audit building, were arraigned in court on Tuesday.
They denied the charges and were bound over in custody for 12 days to facilitate further investigation. They did not apply for release on bail.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials took Manas Sri-anan, Prachuap Sirikhet and Sophon Meechai to the Criminal Court on Tuesday after completing their initial interrogation of the three men following their surrender on Monday.
On Monday, the court approved conditional bail for Zhang Chuanling, who holds 49% of the shares in China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co, with a 500,000-baht cash surety.
The three Thais control 51% of the shares in the company, as required by law.
The court banned Mr Zhang from leaving Thailand without prior consent and set a strict reporting schedule.
Mr Zhang is accused of breaching the Foreign Business Act by arranging for the three Thais to own the shares on his behalf, so he is in control.
He denied the charge and claimed he represented a state-owned enterprise in China that was investing in Thailand, DSI deputy chief Pol Capt Surawut Rangsai said.
Investigators learned that Mr Manas, Mr Prachuap and Mr Sophon worked as loaders and drivers. Their backgrounds did not convince authorities they could hold down executive positions in a company.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said on Tuesday the claim by Mr Zhang that he represented a state-owned Chinese firm would not affect the larger investigation into the collapse of the unfinished State Audit Office tower in Bangkok's Chatuchak district during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, with great loss of life.
China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co and Italian-Thai Development Plc formed the joint venture that won the construction contract for the 30-storey project.
There were 103 people working inside when the 2.14-billion-baht government tower collapsed without any warning. Rescuers have found 51 bodies, and nine injured people. The search of the huge pile of steel and concrete continues.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) confirmed on Tuesday that 43 workers were still unaccounted for.
Pol Maj Gen Watee Assawutmangkul, commander of the Central Police Forensic Science Division, said rescuers had also retrieved more than 100 human organs and other remains from among the debris. All would be closely examined and identified.
