Police continue hunt for abductor
CHALONG: Police are still searching for the second man allegedly involved in the abduction of Jitra Soonsud, 35, who was found handcuffed and drugged in a house in the Phuket Country Home estate, on Chao Fa East Rd, on May 29.
“We know who he is and we have had a warrant issued for his arrest, but I don’t want to reveal any more details at this moment,” Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree of Chalong Police Station told the Gazette yesterday.
The man is believed to be from Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Jitra, an independent real estate broker, alleges that on May 29 she went to the home of Sassiri Klinhom, a government official from Surat Thani Province with whom she was involved in a property deal that had turned sour.
Jitra told police that Sassiri and another man dragged her inside the house and then forced her to swallow several pills and sign a document. They also took 105,000 baht from her, along with her car, which was later found abandoned but undamaged.
Sassiri, Assistant Registrar at the Kian Za District Office in Surat Thani, presented himself on June 1 to Chalong Police Station to deny charges of extortion and causing bodily harm. He was released on bail of 150,000 baht.
At that time Col Jessada said that he could not comment on whether Sassiri had given police an explanation as to how K. Jitra had been found handcuffed and in his house.
Yesterday the Colonel said, “K. Sassiri has not told police anything. He wants to talk about it only in court.
“We have gathered witnesses and collected evidence, and will send the case to the Phuket Provincial State Attorney’s Office in the coming few days so they can investigate the case in further detail,” he added.
