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Published on October 30, 2007

Police in Phrae and Crime Suppression Division officers yesterday arrested four men they said were behind the murder of a politician last week.

Police said the hit was carried out by Thanee Wong-phaet, the alleged gunman; Kiattisak Ponglangka, the alleged getaway motorcyclist; and Itthikorn Ungtrakool, who allegedly identified victim Charnchai Silapa-auychai, head of Phrae Provincial Administrative Organisation.

Deputy police chief General Wongkot Maneerin said the fourth suspect was Jongrak Supphasiri, who has been implicated by the three men as the mastermind.

He has been detained but was kept away from the cameras at a press conference yesterday in which the three other suspects were paraded.

Wongkot said police were hunting for Jetrin Inpradit, who also helped to identify Charnchai.

Police did not link Jongrak's arrest to his brother Saroj and his cousin Phongsawas, the speaker of the Phrae Provincial Council, although police raided and searched their homes yesterday.

Wongkot was quoted as saying that the likely motive behind Charnchai's murder was his attempt to remove Phongsawas from his position over a conflict on a questionable Bt120-million development project.

He said Jongrak initiated the murder plot himself.

Wongkot said Jongrak paid Bt50,000 for the murder and planned it shortly after the project began late last year. The project is being investigated by the National Corrup-tion Counter Commission.

Police initially arrested Thanee, and later Kiattisak and Itthikorn in Lampang late last night.

They were escorted to Phrae yesterday morning under heavy guard.

Police later led them to search the homes of Jongrak, Saroj and Phongsawas.

No reporters were allowed inside the homes during the search operations and no details on search results have been released.

Charnchai was shot dead while jogging in a public park in Muang district last Monday.

A large number of policemen from eight stations had been mobilised to provide protection for the three suspects during their re-enactment of their crimes, which was initially cancelled after police faced around 4,000 villagers waiting with sticks and rocks to attack the suspects at the crime scene.

Another police source said the gunman told him he was watching Charnchai jogging in the public park for two days before shooting him.

The gunman did not flee because he was assured of his safety by those hiring him, the source added.

The Nation