BANGKOK: A Thai court docket on Monday (Jan 13) accredited 12 days of detention for a person suspected of capturing useless a Cambodian opposition politician in an assault in Bangkok.
Ekkalak Paenoi, who confessed to the crime in a livestream video on Saturday, was escorted to the Bangkok court docket carrying a bulletproof vest and helmet alongside uniformed law enforcement officials.
Lim Kimya, a former lawmaker from the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was killed by a motorcyclist on Tuesday as he arrived in Bangkok by bus from Cambodia along with his French spouse.
“The court docket prolonged the detention to permit additional investigation, and he was despatched to Bangkok Remand Prison,” mentioned police officer Attaporn Wongsiripreeda.
Ekkalak – who Thai media mentioned was a former marine – was arrested in Cambodia on Wednesday, earlier than being extradited to Thailand on Saturday.
Cambodian opposition figures have accused the nation’s highly effective former chief Hun Sen of ordering the capturing, though a authorities spokesman denied official involvement.
Thai police will full their investigation into the capturing earlier than sending the case to prosecutors for prosecution.
Some Thai media reviews say Ekkalak was paid 60,000 baht ($1,700) for the killing, however police say he claimed he didn’t obtain the fee and took the job “to pay a debt of gratitude.”
