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Responding to allegations that he was the informant who had let out secrets because he was no longer seen working on the case, Assawin said he was not in the investigation team of the Sondhi case but he assisted Deputy National Police Chief Pol General Thani Somboonsap on any work he was assigned.

Thani, chief investigator, had earlier revealed that his team had made a slow progress because they had met with a major stumbling block. Some investigators were intimidated and some had let out secrets.


“I have no idea about the informant. I only say what I know,’’ Assawin said.

Asked if he continuously reported the progress in the investigation to National Police Chief Pol General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, he said he only answered the National Police Chief when he was asked about the case. “We just talk but not so in depth,’’ he said.

Assawin insisted that no high-ranking official had instructed investigators to stop working on the case.

Asked why Patcharawat ordered the transfer of Pol Col Wiwat Kamchamnan, one of investigators of the Sondhi case, who had brought major progress in the case by successfully having traced the telephone calls made by those involved in the case, back to his jurisdiction, Assawin said though Wiwat was transferred, the team still had others telephone experts to trace the culprits.

He said the two suspects that faced arrest warrants were believed to be hiding in the south.
 
Meanwhile Thani denied to name the mastermind in the Sondhi case after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva implied that police knew who the masterminds were during his weekly television talk programme. Abhisit said Thani had consistently kept him informed about the Sondhi case and had told him about some links but names of the culprits could not be revealed because suspects may be alert but no matter how big or high-ranking the culprits are they must accept the consequences.

“What the PM said goes as what he said but investigation is another matter. It is separated,’’ Thani said.


He also denied that police had issued more arrest warrants on the case.

Asked to respond to Assawin’s remark that he was slighted that he was not given any responsibility related to the Sondhi case, Thani said, “Did Assawin really complain about that?’’