Bangkok Blast: Thailand's Police Say They Consider Case Solved, Receive Cash Awards Again!

[Coss]

Bangkok blast: Thailand's police say they consider case solved, receive cash awards again!

 

 

The Thai national police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang holding up a reward before a news conference about the Bangkok blast which killed 20 people, including foreigners, at the Royal Thai Police headquarters in central Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept 28, 2015. The reward of fat wads of cash in front of journalists was the second time ‘’award’’ money has been given to police teams working on the case.PHOTO: REUTERS

 

Thailand's police have said they consider the Erawan Shrine blast case solved, as they awarded themselves with cash, but will continue to investigate a potential domestic political angle to the bomb blast that killed 20 people on Aug 17 at the popular shrine in Bangkok.

 

At a press conference in Bangkok on Monday (Sept 28), Thai police chief Somyot Poompunmuang, who is serving his last days in office before retiring, reiterated that the bomb attack was revenge by a gang that was smuggling ethnic Uighurs out of China and had been damaged by a police crackdown.

 

But he said one of two Thai suspects in the case had also been involved in a bomb blast at an apartment in Nontahaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok in 2010.

 

"We have yet to establish these (political) links. It might have been a contract crime. A group might have hired another already bent on taking revenge to commit the crime, so both got what they wanted," he said.

 

The police have also again been awarded fat wads of cash in front of journalists for their efforts.

 

The 3 million baht (S$118,410) reward comprised donations from private businessmen as well as Gen Somyot's personal money, the chief said.

 

It was the second time "award" money has been given to police teams working on the case.

 

The Aug 17 rush-hour blast at the heart of downtown Bangkok was the deadliest in memory in Thailand, killing 20 people, including 12 foreigners.

 

The police have issued at least 17 arrest warrants, including for Chinese and Pakistani nationals, and have two people in custody.

 

Over the weekend, they said one of them, a foreigner whose nationality is still unclear but whose name has been given as Adem Karadag or Bilal Mohammed, had confessed to actually planting the bomb at the Erawan Shrine.

 

The blast at the apartment in Nonthaburi in October 2010 killed four people, including a man called Samai Wongsuwan, probably while he was assembling a bomb, the police said at the time.

 

Last year, the police arrested a Thai woman allegedly linked to the Nonthaburi case.

 

At the time, the government blamed the Nonthaburi blast on the "red shirts" who earlier that year, after months of protests against the government of then Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, had been cowed by an army crackdown.

 

The red shirts, of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, were aligned with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who had been kicked out of of office by the military in 2006 on the back of royalist street protests against his rule.

 

The violence of the summer of 2010, which saw red shirts battling troops across central Bangkok, left over 90 dead - mostly civilian protesters.

 

http://www.straitsti...political-angle

[Coss]

[YimSiam]

Incredible how much that pudgy little dude's willingness to pass around big wads of money in full view of cameras damages Thailand's image in the eyes of reasonable people. If they changed the word "Banana" to the name of the country, it would have about the same impact.

 

And what the fuck, NOW they are going to throw in the possibility that it was a contract crime committed at the behest of possible domestic actors?! I thought that keeping that possibility at bay was kind of the point of the whole investigation - or are they so overconfident in their powers of persuasion that they assume the world and the Thais will only see the Red Shirts as the potential sponsor?

 

Anyway, I just like to spend my money, enjoy myself like any quality tourist in the Kingdom... I have no opinions. I am farang.

[chelseafan]

If this wasn't so serious it would almost be Python-esque.....

[Coss]

It might just be me, but put a pair of thick rimmed glasses on this bloke and I reckon he looks a bit more like the yellow t'shirted bomber, in stature and 'ranginess' than the one they're accusing now. JMHO

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New police chief orders extensive dragnet for Aod, the key link to political motive in deadly bombing

in General

 

 

New police chief orders extensive dragnet for Aod, the key link to political motive in deadly bombing.

 

Thai police are now seeking help from Interpol, and using diplomatic channels to help in the hunting for and the extradition of the 15 suspects in the deadly bomb attack at Erawan Shrine which killed 20 people and injured over 120 others on August 17.

Among the 15 fugitive suspect are two Thais, Mrs Wanna Suansom, whose Thai passport has been revoked already, as she was said to be living with her Turkish husband in Turkey, and Yongyut Pobkaew, alias ‘Aod’ Payungwong, a former guard of the redshirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

 

The rest are foreigners.

 

The new commissioner of the Royal Thai Police Pol Gen Chakthip Chaichinda today ordered police investigators to hunt down Aod as he is a key suspect in the bombing conspiracy.

 

He ordered police to comb two places in Chonburi and Ayutthaya where Aod was believed to be still hiding.

 

He was confident that the police would get him very soon.

 

Aod is the key link into several bombing incidents in the country during anti-government protests a few year ago, notably the Samarn mansion bomb explosion that killed four persons in 2010 and Minburi bomb explosion that killed two persons last year.

 

In the two explosions, materials used in making the bombs were same as the materials used in the bombing at Erawan shrine and Sathorn pier. This finding prompted the police investigators to believe political motive was behind.

 

An investigative team today prepared a set of photographs of Aod to be verified by his aged mother who is at present in an old people’s home in Bang Lamung district in Chonburi province.

 

The investigative team has also ascertained that Aod was married but apparently his wife has passed away.

 

They however had a female child together. They have also managed to discover that he has in the past been charged with 9 offences which include violation of the 2010 State of Emergency Decree after becoming involved with the UDD.

 

On top of this, police investigators are also in the process of coordinating with the military and the Corrections Department for more information on the man.

 

They are also trying to get in touch with his bondsman as on every occasion that he has been arrested, the bondsman always state that Aod was staying at a house in Sena district in Ayutthaya province.

 

Initial inquiries have found that the home is question houses no less than 27 individuals. Authorities are preparing to send a team to the house to make a physical inspection.

 

The manhunt for Aod who is among the 15 wanted suspects have become an urgent matter and authorities throughout the nation have been put on high alert.

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/new-police-chief-orders-extensive-dragnet-for-aod-the-key-link-to-political-motive-in-deadly-bombing

[Coss]

Panthongtae ready to hand over the 7-million baht cash reward

 

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s only son, Panthongtae, is ready to hand over the 7-million baht reward that he earlier promised to give to the police if they manage to arrest the Erawan Shrine bomber.

 

An informed source said that Panthongtae planned to visit the National Police Office on Friday to hand over the cash reward to the national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaichinda, to be distributed to the officers responsible for resolving the case.

 

However, Pol Gen Chakthip would not be available and the plan was called off.

 

Earlier, Panthongtae posted a message in his Facebook page on August 21 saying that Thaksin had endorsed the promised cash reward but it should be divided into two portions – one portion of two million baht to be given to those who gave the tips leading to the arrest of the suspected bomber and the other portion, five million baht, are to be shared out among police officers responsible for investigating the case.

 

One of the two suspects held in police custody, Adem Karadag, confessed to the police on September 23 that he was the yellow-shirted bomber wanted by the police.

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/panthongtae-ready-to-hand-over-the-7-million-baht-cash-reward

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"He was confident that the police would get him very soon."

 

At which point they can award themselves some more reward money.

 

Sanuk!

[cavanami]

...and the entire world laughs at these azz clowns!

[YimSiam]

"In the two explosions, materials used in making the bombs were same as the materials used in the bombing at Erawan shrine and Sathorn pier. This finding prompted the police investigators to believe political motive was behind."

 

I think I need to work on my investigative logic, since I don't clearly follow.

 

"They are also trying to get in touch with his bondsman as on every occasion that he has been arrested, the bondsman always state that Aod was staying at a house in Sena district in Ayutthaya province. Initial inquiries have found that the home is question houses no less than 27 individuals. Authorities are preparing to send a team to the house to make a physical inspection."

 

Jesus, more than a month later, they've got another suspect, an address, the number of people at the house, etc - and the newspaper is faster to report that, than the police are to take a drive over to the apartment and see who's there?

 

I agree, the photo looks rangy like the bomber. But the way the 'political suspect' is being played out, it looks like a publicity play. This is not how you actually try to get a suspect, it's how you try to persuade the public that there's a political angle.

 

But yeah, he looks the part.

 

If he's still in country and gets arrested, jesus he's slow!

[buffalo_bill]

Cant´t remember the name of the place right now but I offer a free dinner incl drinks in my favorite Soi 22 restaurant for anybody arresting another suspect next week . Sort of incentive .