Former cop ‘admits’ to deadly shooting
>> A former police officer with a murky past has confessed to gunning down a petrol station owner and almost killing his wife in Sa Kaeo.
Pansak Mongkolsilp was detained on Friday at his hideout in Rayong’s Pluak Daeng district.
The arrest came nearly two weeks after the deadly shooting at Si Suwan Rung Rueang petrol station on Thetsaban 6 Road in Muang district.
Pracha Worathat, 52, was killed and his wife Parida wounded in the pre-dawn attack on Sept 30.
Investigators have not yet established a motivation behind the murder, although according to the victims’ relative Darani Sisuwan, Pracha had a dispute with another businessman, Damrongrit Kittiwaraphon.
Mr Damrongrit had sold the petrol station to Pracha as his business was i n the red. However, when he saw Pracha earning good revenue, he wanted to buy it back. His offer was rejected.
The quarrel has run for about two years, Ms Darani said. According to investigators, the 63-yearold suspect initially confessed to being hired by Damrongrit but denied shooting anyone, claiming he only acquired guns and gave them to two gunmen. However, after 10 hours of questioning, and after Ms Parida yesterday fingered him as the gunman, police say he has now admitted to pulling the trigger.
The 49-year-old widow, who is recovering and was able to travel to meet police officers, was yesterday asked to identify the suspect. She insisted the gunman was Pansak, her daughter Patthamaphon said.
According t o Ms Patthamaphon’s accounts, her parents had asked Mr Pansak to take off his hood. The murder suspect did so before he gunned down the couple. Her mother survived because “she pretended she was dead” after being shot, Ms Patthamaphon said.
Pracha and Ms Parida were friends with Mr Damrongrit. Pracha’s wife had earlier taken care of Mr Damrongrit, who is disabled.
A check of the suspect’s background showed he is connected t o similar dark behaviour.
He was found to have been involved in other high-profile murder cases, police say. According to investigators, he was involved with two other killings in the past.