Mayor gets death for murder plot

SONGKHLA: The Criminal Court has sentenced six people, including the Muang Singha Nakhon municipal mayor, to death and another to life imprisonment for the murder of a municipal director in July last year.

The seven found guilty were Thanakorn Sangkaro, 50, the mayor; Jongjaroen Maneerat, 51, the deputy mayor; Prawit Noocharoen, 49; Adul Daeworsanung, 41; Sungaimee Useng, 33; Mahama Johwaesulong, 46; and Preechapol Kattho, 52.

The court handed the death sentence to Thanakorn and Jongjaroen for masterminding the killing of Kamol Srinuan, 46, director of the technical division of the Muang Singha Nakhon municipality, in his car on July 11 last year.

The shooting occurred on the Ha Yaek Koh Yor-Ang Thong road in Muang district.

The other four on death row are Prawit, who found the gunmen, and Adul, Sungaimee and Mahama for carrying out the attack.

The court sentenced Preechapol to life imprisonment for driving the gunmen to the scene where they shot and killed Kamol.

The court heard that in 2015, the mayor and Kamol became involved in a legal dispute after a group of municipal employees filed a legal complaint accusing Thanakorn of abuse of authority. Kamol had testified as one of the witnesses against Thanakorn.

The mayor, in return, sought prosecution against Kamol for corruption and later ordered him to be transferred to serve in another position in the municipality between February 2016 and August 2017.

The conflict had intensified to the point where Jongjaroen, who knew Thanakorn personally, pledged to plan the murder as a favour to his friend. Prawit was given the job of hiring the gunmen and arranged for them to follow Kamol, who was returning home from his office, and shoot him by the roadside.