CSD arrests Banyin for tycoon's death

Police spared the additional humiliation of handcuffs but forced former Pheu Thai MP and deputy minister Banyin Tangpakorn to walk past the media after he was formally charged on Tuesday. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

Police arrested former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn in Nakhon Ratchasima on Tuesday for the alleged premeditated murder of construction tycoon Chuwong Sae Tang last year.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers apprehended the 52-year-old politician at the Town Square Suite resort in the Khao Yai area of Pak Chong, where he was in the company of former stock broker Uracha Wachirakulton, a suspect in a related case. Ms Uracha, who is free on bail, was not charged.

Police obtained a warrant for his arrest from the Phra Khanong court in Bangkok on Monday on a charge of participating in premeditated murder to conceal another offence.

Police are interrogating Pol Lt Col Banyin, now retired. Pol Lt Col Banyin, a founding member of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party, was deputy commerce minister in the short-lived Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat Prachachon Party governments in 2008.

Shortly after the arrest, Wanpen Thanathamsiri, Chuwong's elder sister, and Sirirat Sae Tang, the victim's wife, visited the CSD.

Ms Wanpen expressed her thanks to police for their investigation, saying Pol Lt Col Banyin's arrest will help clear her brother's name.

Chuwong, the 50-year-old founder of major construction firm Standard Performance, was found dead in the front passenger seat of Pol Lt Col Banyin's vehicle after it hit a roadside tree in Prawet district, Bangkok, on June 26 last year.

Pol Lt Col Banyin was the driver.

The two men first met during a course at the National Defence College years ago.

Pol Lt Col Banyin and three women who knew him were earlier charged with stealing shares worth 260 million baht from Chuwong a short time before he was found dead. Police found documents had been forged to change the status of the share transactions from pledges against loans to transfers.

One of the women, Kanthana Siwathanapol, 27, was a model and claimed to be Chuwong's mistress and later gave birth to a child she said was his.

Another of the three women, Ms Uracha, was with Pol Lt Col Banyin at the time of his arrest. She earlier received Chuwong's shares through an account in the name of her 53-year-old mother, Srithana Promma, the third woman in the case. Ms Uracha also claimed to be Chuwong's mistress.

After learning of the transfers, Chuwong's family said they doubted the tycoon really died in the car crash.

EARLIER REPORT

Banyin arrested for murder of tycoon

Police arrested former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Tuesday morning on charges of premeditated murder of construction tycoon Chuwong Sae Tang last year.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police apprehended the 52-year-old politician at a resort named Town Square Suite in Khao Yai area of Pak Chong district, where he was in the company of a woman suspect in a related case, former stock broker Uracha Wachirakulton. Ms Uracha, who is free on bail, was not charged.

Police obtained a warrant for his arrest from the Phra Khanong court in Bangkok on Monday on a charge of participating in premeditated murder to conceal another offence.

Police were interrogating retired Pol Lt Col Banyin and said more details would be given at a media conference at the CSD headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon. He was deputy commerce minister in the Samak Sundaravej government in 2008.

Chuwong, 50-year-old founder of major construction firm Standard Performance, was found dead in the front passenger seat of Banyin's Lexus sport utility vehicle after it hit a roadside tree in Prawet district, Bangkok, on June 26 last year.

Mr Banyin was the driver. The two men first met during a course at the National Defence College years ago.

He and three women were earlier charged with stealing shares worth 260 million baht from Chuwong a short time before he was found dead. Police found documents had been forged to change the status of the share transactions from pledges against loans to transfers.

The women knew Mr Banyin. One of them, Kanthana Siwathanapol, 27, was a model and claimed to be Chuwong's mistress and later gave birth to a child she said was his.

Another of the three women, Ms Uracha, was with Banyin at the time of his arrest. She earlier received Chuwong's shares through an account in the name of her 53-year-old mother. She also earlier claimed to be Chuwong's mistress.

Chuwong's family always doubted the tycoon really died when Mr Banyin's vehicle hit the tree, after finding out about the suspicious share transfers.

Banyin Tangpakorn at the Crime Suppression Division headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday (photo by Wassayos Ngamkham)