Mala Seafood murder suspect surrenders
CHALONG: After two months on the run and wanted for the shooting murder of Karon restaurateur Mala Peng-iam, Suban Pon-iamsaen handed himself in to Chalong Police Station on Tuesday. A reward of 100,000 baht had been offered for information leading to his capture.
About 7 pm March 27, Mala, owner of Mala Seafood restaurant, was shot three times in the face and once in the chest with a .38 caliber pistol. Police also found a bullet hole in the kitchen wall from a shot that had missed its mark.
At the time of the shooting, eyewitnesses reported that Suban had calmly walked into the restaurant kitchen and shot Mala. After the shooting, Suban was seen leaving the scene in his white Toyota sedan.
Mala, 52, and Suban, 40, were distant relatives who owned neighboring restaurants on the Karon Beach road. However, they were known to argue often, including over one of them wanting to have a karaoke machine, but the other disputing that it would be too noisy.
Pol Lt Col Sirisak Wasasiri, deputy superintendent of Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette that Suban arrived at Chalong Police Station about 8 pm.
“Suban arrived with a relative and handed himself in to police, but he declined to say where he had been hiding. He said that he would reveal that only in court,” Lt Col Sirisak said.
Suban was released after the relative posted 200,000-baht bail, he added.
A date has yet to be set for Suban to appear in court.
