Suspect says politician was the killer

A 65-year-old woman accused of being the mastermind behind the brutal murder of a Sa Kaeo tycoon couple in January turned herself in to police yesterday and denied the allegation.

Maneerat Kothan, a businesswoman in the province, yesterday met with Crime Suppression Division (CSD) chief Pol Maj Gen Maitri Chimcherd after an arrest warrant was issued for premeditated murder and giving shelter to wrongdoers in the case.

Ms Maneerat is among 12 suspects, arrest warrants for whom were issued by the Sa Kaeo Provincial Court earlier.

Ms Maneerat yesterday denied all allegations, claiming she was made a scapegoat by a local politician who orchestrated the killing of Phiphat Tangphongthong, 71, and his wife, Sayan Janthra, 64.

Both were tycoons at the Rong Kluea border market in Aranyaprathet district.

On Jan 30, Mr Phipat and his wife were stabbed and had their throats slashed at their l uxury residence in Klong Hat district.

Ms Maneerat told the police that she knew the alleged politician in 2011 as she helped the suspect run for election in the province.

She said the politician told her that he needed one million baht to fight the coming election and would seek it from the wealthy couple. She also alleges that she heard talk that he was prepared to kill them for it if necessary.

Ms Maneerat said she neither knew the couple nor had conflicts, and never did business with them.

“I insist that I was framed. The mastermind is a local politician who has been acquainted with me for more than seven years because I helped the suspect run political campaigns,” she said.

In February, the Provincial Police Region 2 also raided six locations in connection with the case.

Of the six, four were houses owned by Capt Suthep Makmee, mayor of Tambon Klong Hat municipality; Kanyaphat Siriwutyada, the municipality’s ex-deputy mayor; Capt Thongthot Maksakhon, Capt Suthep’s elder brother who also vice president of the Sa Kaeo Provincial Administrative Organisation’s council; and Wichai Phumruang, Capt Suthep’s close aide.

Mr Wichai later confessed to being involved in the plot but denied killing the couple.