Thailand’s prosecutor accepts Joe Ferrari’s case file
The case report on the alleged murder of a suspected drug dealer while he was in custody at Muang Nakhon Sawan Police Station last month has been presented to prosecutors and is expected to be filed in court next week.
Former Chief Commissioner Colonel Thitisan Utthanaphon and six other officers are charged with killing Chiraphong Thanapat, a 24-year-old drug suspect, while allegedly trying to extort money from him.
Colonel Thitisan, also known as Joe Ferrari for owning a collection of very luxurious limousines, is the prime suspect in this infamous case.
Video footage of the alleged torture and murder of Chiraphong was posted online, sparking outrage and a storm of criticism against the police.
Khun Sompong Yenkaew, the deputy. Chief of Public Prosecution Service Region 6, said detectives have completed the investigation into Chiraphong’s death and forwarded the report to the office.
Sompong said the report will be submitted to the Nakhon Sawan Provincial Court next week so it can investigate and issue an official ruling on Chiraphong’s death. The prosecution will present the case on Tuesday, he said.
According to the report, Chiraphong died during a brutal interrogation of the seven police officers at the Nakhon Sawan Police Station. It noted that Colonel Thitisan was the leader and Chiraphong’s cause of death was asphyxiation.
“The death resulted from officers covering the man’s head with a plastic bag in an interrogation room at the police station,” he said.
Sompong said the other six officers named in the report, Messrs. Pol Maj Rawirot Ditthong, Pol Capt Songyot Khlainak, Pol Lt Thoranin Makwanna, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Suphakon Nimchuen, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Wisut Bunkhiew and Pol Lance /Corp Pawikon Khammarew.
Colonel Thitisan has been officially charged with first-degree murder through torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty and felony.
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