Detained Custody of Suspects in Thai Company Connected to Collapsed Building
In a twist of events, three Thai men believed to be fronts for a Chinese state-owned construction company, heavily involved in the disastrous state audit building collapse, found themselves in the dock on Tuesday.
The trio, identified as Manas Sri-anan, Prachuap Sirikhet, and Sophon Meechai, pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody for 12 days to facilitate ongoing investigations. They declined the option of bail.
Officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) accompanied the three men to the Criminal Court following their questioning on Monday, soon after their surrender.
Contrastingly, Zhang Chuanling, owning 49% of the shares in China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co, was granted conditional bail on Monday with a 500,000-baht cash surety. The Thai nationals represent the majority 51% shareholders in the company as mandated by law.
Charges against Zhang accuse him of illegally utilizing the Thai nationals to hold shares on his behalf to maintain dominance, which he denies. He contends that he represents a state-owned Chinese firm making investments in Thailand.
Initial scrutiny by authorities reveals that the three Thai men, Manas, Prachuap, and Sophon, had backgrounds as loaders and drivers, leaving them unqualified to occupy executive positions in a company.
The Justice Minister, Tawee Sodsong, stated on Tuesday that the claim by Zhang regarding his representation of a state-owned Chinese corporation wouldn’t impact the broader investigation into the State Audit Office tower collapse during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28.
The tragic event resulted in significant loss of life, and the joint venture between China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co and Italian-Thai Development Plc was responsible for the damaged 30-storey project.
At the time of the collapse, there were 103 people inside the building. Rescuers have currently retrieved 51 bodies and nine survivors. The search for the remaining 43 unaccounted workers continues amid a daunting pile of steel and concrete debris.
Pol Maj Gen Watee Assawutmangkul, commander of the Central Police Forensic Science Division, reported on Tuesday that over 100 human organs and remains have also been found amid the wreckage. These findings will undergo thorough examination and identification.
Zhang Chuanling, the major shareholder of China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co, was granted conditional bail, despite being accused of illegally utilizing Thai nationals to hold shares on his behalf. This contrasts with the trio of Manas Sri-anan, Prachuap Sirikhet, and Sophon Meechai, who were remanded in custody following their plea of not guilty in relation to the state audit building collapse. Initial scrutiny by authorities revealed that the three Thai men had backgrounds unsuitable for executive roles within the company, unlike Zhang who claimed to represent a state-owned Chinese firm. The ongoing investigation into the General-News category, including Crime-and-Justice and politics, continues amidst the daunting pile of debris, with the search for the remaining 43 unaccounted workers and over 100 human organs and remains still ongoing.
