Siriporn Poonprasert, 31, was arrested at her house in tambon Wang Krajom in Muang Nakhon Nayok at 2am yesterday.

Police also seized as evidence 18 documents and three pictures of her 31-year-old husband, Aiyakanseuk Mahawannakit, who was reportedly killed in a collision in November 2004 with a truck driven by her alleged accomplice Suchat Thammanit, 56, who was arrested on Friday.

Siriporn was charged with orchestrating Aiyakanseuk's death, disposing of the body to conceal the real cause of death by making it look like a road accident, contaminating food to harm others, document forgery and attempted fraud.

At a press conference later yesterday, Siriporn - who married Aiyakanseuk, her secondary school sweetheart, and had one child with him - denied any wrongdoing and insisted she never knew Suchat before the accident.

She quarrels between herself and her husband were normal and she knew of his affairs with other women, but it never became a grudge.

Siriporn said her husband knew about all the insurance policies, some of which they bought together and some he bought on his own. They even cancelled many, as they could not afford the premiums, she said. She had no idea Aiyakanseuk bought that many policies - some did not state any beneficiary - until she was informed by the firms at his funeral. She insisted she did not poison Aiyakanseuk as accused. Suchat also maintained his innocence and insisted he never knew Siriporn before.

Crime Suppression Division acting commander Colonel Pongpat Chayapan said the suspects had the right to deny wrongdoing but the investigators proceeded according to evidence. Police would gather more evidence and expected to present the case for public prosecutors to file a criminal lawsuit.

Siriporn and Suchat were earlier yesterday taken to the Criminal Court, where police applied for and got a 12-day detention period. The court granted the police request not to allow the two to be released on bail on the grounds that the interrogations were not complete and the two might tamper with evidence.

The recent developments in the case followed complaints from insurance companies, which had raised suspicions over Aiyakanseuk's death. They allege Siriporn forged her husband's signature on 16 life policies and that Aiyakanseuk had once been admitted to hospital with symptoms of poisoning.

The Nation

NAKHON NAYOK