Six out of the 83 individuals and businesses being investigated on suspicion of acting as the "financial pipeline" for the red-shirt movement, will be dropped from the blacklist as no links could be established.
It is because no suspicious transactions have been found in their bank accounts and no evidence could be established for suspicion that they provided financial support to the red-shirt movement, according to the source, who requested anonymity.
The six individuals are Army specialist Lt-General Prin Suwannathat, G-Net International top executive Tas Chaovanasathien, former deputy interior minister Sermsak Pongpanit, former deputy police chief Salang Bunnag, former Khon Kaen MP Duangkhae Annopporn, and Assanee Cherdchai, who is a Pheu Thai MP for Nakhon Ratchasima.
They are classified in the "white group" by the DSI, compared to the "black" for those with clear links to the red shirts, and the "grey" for those with no clear connections but also unable to offer sufficient proof to support their claim.
DSI investigators yesterday questioned a number of individuals on the blacklist, or their representing lawyers, in a second round of interrogations.
Pheu Thai MPs Somsak Kiatsuranond, Udomdej Ratanasathien and Pracha Prasopdee, as well as former public health minister Chaiya Sasomsap, met the investigators in person. Their party colleagues Santi Prompat and Chuwit Pitakpornpanlop sent their lawyers to submit additional testimonies.
Former Thai Rak Thai deputy leader Sudarat Keyuraphan, who still retains her influence in the opposition Pheu Thai Party, and Aree Krainara, chief of the red-shirt guards, also sent their lawyers.
Sudarat's lawyer Thanadej Puangpoon said she was now overseas, leaving him to act on her behalf in submitting her written explanation about the 10 bank accounts suspected by the CRES. The lawyer said the bank accounts contained more than Bt175 million, and not Bt160 million as specified by the CRES. "The financial transactions in all the bank accounts have not been spent to support red-shirt protests, and no withdrawals exceeded the legal limits," he said.