Chalerm denies masterminding assassination attempt

BANGKOK (AFP): The deputy leader of Thailand’s main opposition party denied masterminding the attempted assassination of a prosecutor who was allegedly investigating his sons, reports said yesterday. “A man like me does not need to hire anyone to kill someone else. I would do it myself,” the Bangkok Post quoted Police Captain Chalerm Yubamrung, deputy leader of the New Aspiration Party, as saying. Chalerm added that any press reports linking him to the crime were part of a bid to smear his reputation. Police yesterday announced they were holding four suspects in the March 14 shooting of public prosecutor Likhit Petchsawang, who reportedly was close to prosecuting Chalerm’s sons for forgery. The four suspects have told investigators they were contracted by a man named Kukiart, who hired a team of people to kill Likhit for 500,000 baht (US$13,160). “Sources reaffirmed the four arrested suspsects told investigators Mr Kukiart was close to a Thonburi politician who was not happy with Mr Lihkhit’s handling of a case involving his sons,” the Post said. Chalerm lives in the Bangkok suburb of Thonburi. Likhit’s brother Sophon Petchsawang, a member of the ruling coalition in parliament, also suggested that his brother was the target of Chalerm. Sophon told the Post he was “confident his brother became the target of an assassination because he refused to make decisions in favour of people who stood to be affected by cases he was handling,” including “a matter invovling the sons of Police Captain Chalerm.” Chalerm’s sons, Wanchalerm and Artharn, were dismissed from the police force last March after an internal investigation revealed they had falsified papers needed to enter the force.