Jumpol’s wife turns self in

The wife of Pol Gen Jumpol Manmai, a former deputy police chief and Grand Chamberlain of the Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH) detained and charged for allegedly encroaching on forest land in Nakhon Ratchasima, turned herself in to officials yesterday.

Thanakorn Manmai, 59, the last of all five suspects in the same land encroachment case, appeared tense and refused to speak to reporters when she turned up at the headquarters of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division for questioning.

Deputy police chief Srivara Ransibhra-manakul was there to meet Ms Thanakorn in person and took her away for interrogation, said an informed source.

After three hours of questioning, Pol Gen Srivara said Ms Thanakorn denied any wrongdoing and she had provided useful information to police investigators, including some information implicating a third party who police will investigate.

Ms Thanakorn was granted bail on a 200,000-baht surety because she turned herself in to police and did not intend to flee, said Pol Gen Srivara.

On Thursday, soldiers brought Pol Gen Jumpol, 66, to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok to hear charges of illegally building six resort houses on 13 rai of land within Thap Lan National Park in tambon Thai Samakkhi of Wang Nam Khieo district, Nakhon Ratchasima.

There are five suspects in this case and all have turned themselves in to face charges. Three have already been released on bail, said the same informed source.

The five are Pol Gen Jumpol, Ms Thanakorn, Maj Gen Pongdech Prommichit, 57, former deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, his girlfriend Chayanis Pisitwanich, 51, and Manop Plodkhoksung, 34-year-old native of Nakhon Ratchasima and a relative of Ms Chayanis.