Lawyer caught trying to flee 71 million baht embezzlement charges

Famous lawyer Sittha Biabungkerd and his wife were arrested at around noon on Thursday as they were trying to flee across the border to escape 71-million-baht embezzlement charges.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police officers, armed with arrest warrants from the Criminal Court, handcuffed Sittha and his wife Pathitta in Chachoengsao. Police said it is believed the couple was heading to Sa Kaew to try and cross over to Cambodia.

According to police investigators, the couple left their Bangkok home at 9.30am in their luxury car and were apparently driving to Sa Kaew, when police stopped them in the middle of the road in Chachoengsao’s Bang Khla district.

CSD sources said the couple was charged with fraud, money laundering and embezzlement.

The arrest warrant was sought after Jatuporn “Jeh Oy” Ubollert filed a complaint saying the lawyer stole the 71 million baht she had sent him to set up an online platform for her.

On Tuesday, Sittha showed up at the CSD office to deny the charges, claiming Jatuporn had given him the funds as a goodwill gesture after he had served her for a year. Jatuporn had won over 10 billion baht in the euro lotto.

CSD said Jatuporn, who was interrogated by police for four days, filed four complaints against Sittha, namely:

• Deceiving her to pay 71 million to invest in an online lottery platform
• Deceiving her to pay Sittha’s relatives 39 million baht to allegedly transfer bitcoins to a Chinese entertainer in payment for a meeting with Jatuporn
• Charging 1.5 million baht above the market price for a Mercedes Benz SUV she told Sittha to purchase
• Charging almost three times more for hotel design. She was charged 9 million baht for a job that actually cost 3.5 million baht.