Lt-General Jongrak Juthanon, commissioner of the police region, yesterday said the manhunt spanned eight eastern provinces, especially Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet and Ta Phraya border districts.

He said he had received no reports of Thailand's most notorious godfather leaving the country through a land border and it was more likely that he would have taken a sea route to flee, which did not fall under police jurisdiction.

Somchai could be hiding in an area of the Kingdom where he was not known, said Jongrak, citing the case of former health minister Rakkiat Sukthana.

The ex-minister was faced with corruption charges but managed to escape arrest for a long period until he was spotted when he went out for a jog. The police officer urged the public to immediately report any details of Somchai's whereabouts.

He said rumours that Somchai might have fled to Cambodia's Kong Island must be confirmed before the police could ask Cambodia to extradite him under the International Transfer of Offenders Treaty.

The appeals court sentenced Somchai to five years and four months in jail.

The "Chon Buri godfather" was scheduled to hear the Supreme Court's verdict on his corruption case over the purchase of a 140-rai rubbish dump worth Bt93.52 million by Tambon Saensuk municipali-

ty when he was mayor 13 years ago.

Somchai disappeared after the Supreme Court issued a warrant for his arrest on Friday.

The Nation

CHON BURI