Accused Bangkok fraudster attempts to flee justice

A defendant in a fraud case attempted to escape justice yesterday when he fled from Bangkok’s Criminal Court.

Prasit Jiewkok’s comedy attempt to flee was foiled by police and corrections officials who captured him after he left the building.With the help of accomplices, Prasit changed out of his prison clothes in a courtroom toilet.

Prasit is on trial with eight others on charges of committing a public fraud and violations of the Computer Crime Act. He is alleged to have run fake gold-futures investments and savings cooperatives which promised unusually high returns. Most investors were not paid, to the tune of several hundred million baht.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Prasit asked the court’s permission to go to the toilet where clothes, a key to his handcuffs and a fake moustache had been hidden for him to change into. Prasit then attempted to run out of the building.

As he walked down the stairs, another defendant in another case spotted him. The other prisoner then informed an officer that he had seen Prasit without his prison uniform.

The officer set off in hot pursuit of the escaping fraudster. Prasit ran off, but eventually stumbled going down the stairs. Arresting him as he lay on the floor with an injured leg was a piece of cake. He was immediately charged with contempt of court for attempting the escape.

The court also ordered that CCTV in the building to be checked to find out who had helped him in the escape attempt. Officers from Phaholyothin police station then quickly moved to arrest three suspects for aiding the escape attempt – secretaries and girlfriends of Prasit’s associates.

No court officials were found to be involved in the plan.