(22 January)
The police have interrogated the Redshirt leader of Pathumthani province over
his alleged ties to a recent spate of violence in Bangkok.
Pol.Lt.Gen.
Kamronvit Thoopkrachang, commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, has
previously told the press that he has summoned Mr.
Wuttipong Kochthammakul, a coordinator of the United Front of Democracy
Against Dictatorship (UDD) in Pathumthani, after many reports tied him to
violence against anti-government protesters.
The
supporters of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As
Head of State (PCAD) came under drive-by shootings and explosive attacks almost
nightly at their rally sites across Bangkok.
Last week,
two separate grenade attacks on PCAD supporters also killed one protester and
wounded scores of others.
Mr.
Wuttipong, who is popularly known as Ko Tee, has been accused by
anti-government protesters of engineering the attacks.
The Redshirt
leader also personally sparked a clash between Redshirts and PCAD supporters in
Pathumthani earlier this month, after he drove his vehicle toward a convoy of
PCAD demonstrators who were inviting Pathumthani residents to join their
campaign against the government.
Pol.Lt.Gen.
Kamronvit said Mr. Wuttipong must be held accountable to his actions. "I
have instructed the officers to interrogate him in details where he had been
during violent incidents," Pol.Lt.Gen. Kamronvit said, "We will also
investigate Mr. Wuttipong′s previous offences, and we will investigate who his
accomplices are".
Furthermore,
Pol.Lt.Gen. Kamronvit said, the police have arrested two individuals in Bang
Khen district who were carrying 23 small explosives, a handgun, and a number of
ammunition. The suspects will be questioned whether they intended to cause
violence to the protesters, while the EOD team will determine whether the
confiscated weaponry is linked to any incident, Pol.Lt.Gen. Kamronvit told
reporters.
Later in the
day, Mr. Wuttipong arrived at Bangkok Metropolitan Police headquarters, where
he told his interrogators that he had never been in Bangkok since the protests
began; he claimed he has been busy with his radio station in Pathumthani.
Mr. Wuttipong
also denied any connection to the arrested suspects, and insisted that he is
not behind any violent incidents against PCAD supporters.
The police
eventually released Mr. Wuttipong without pressing any charge against him.
(khaosod.co.th)