‘Weapons belonged to Ko Tee’

A MAN ARRESTED for allegedly possessing war weapons has said they belonged to red-shirt leader Wuttipong “Ko Tee” Kotthammakhun and that more weapons were stored in two shipping containers.
Thirachai Uttarawichien, who has been arrested along with eight others following raids by authorities at nine locations in seven provinces last week, said yesterday Ko Tee told him a senior politician informed him about the alleged cache of weapons hidden inside two shipping containers.
The suspect told a press conference at the Crime Suppression Division that he believed Ko Tee was referring to former interior minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, a key figure in Pheu Thai Party who was previously its secretary general. “But I don’t think Ko Tee saw weapons in the containers by himself.”
Thirachai claimed he met Ko Tee three times in Laos – the last time in February.
“Every time we met, Ko Tee never ordered me to create any incident. I believe that he has no potential to create any unrest,” the suspect said. But he said Ko Tee had made a threat to kill certain government leaders.
One of the nine suspects is Sakon Nakhon resident Palida Ruangsuwan, 61, described in some media reports as a relative of Charupong.
The nine suspects – seven men and two women – are charged with illegal possession of weapons and criminal association. Yesterday, they were made to appear at the press conference at the CSD headquarters.
Earlier, the military, which made the arrests under special post-coup powers, had handed over the suspects to the police.
In addition to the nine arrested, police are still seeking four others – a woman and three men, including Ko Tee, 48, who is wanted for possessing unregistered weapons and ammunition without permission.
Thirachai said he had worked for Ko Tee at the latter’s Red Guards Radio, a pro-red shirts community radio station in Pathum Thani, since 2013. He said he did not know how Ko Tee got the assault rifles and other weapons but Ko Tee had put them in his care after the 2014 coup. The suspect said he had learned that the weapons had been used “only twice” – in clashes with Ko Tee’s political |enemies.
However, a security source said yesterday some suspects had confessed that some of the confiscated weapons were used during the political unrest in 2010.
At that time, red-shirt supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra held street protests for two months after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders ordered the seizure of Bt46 billion of his assets, which were found to have been earned dishonestly while in power.
More than 90 people were killed and over 1,000 others injured during the unrest.
Meanwhile, Thaksin’s lawyer yesterday filed a police complaint against senior journalists Sonthiyan Chuenruthainaitham and Yukol Wisetsang, for suggesting in their TV show that the ex-PM was connected to Ko Tee. Lawyer Chumsai Sriyapai, representing Thaksin, said Sonthiyan and Yukol committed libel for doing so.