Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol (middle) sneaked in to Cambodia to meet Thaksin (R) and Hun Sen (L) on 10th November 2009.Seh Daeng in the crosshairs
Crime Suppression Division police are examining evidence, and say they are close to issuing an arrest warrant for army Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol (inset) on weapons charges.
By The NationPublished on January 22, 2010
The police and military yesterday raided the residence of suspended senior officer Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol and arrested two of his aides after a mysterious grenade attack on Army headquarters last Friday morning.
The attack was a serious wake-up call, with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday warning of more incidents and ordering security to be tightened at government buildings.
He said the attackers only wanted attention and had not intended to kill Army chief Anupong Paochinda.
The suspect, Khattiya - also known as "Seh Daeng" - was previously suspended from duty for violating military regulations. He denied any involvement, saying he was not even in the capital at the time.
Khattiya was not on the late-evening flight from Hat Yai as expected. Police were reportedly due to arrest him at Suvarnabhumi Airport on arrival at around 9.30pm. No police or military police were found waiting at the airport to make any arrest.
Khattiya has been in conflict with Anupong over the former's suspension for his role in siding with ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra. He had also sneaked out of the country many times to visit Thaksin.
The attack is an embarrassment for the Army, Khattiya said, adding Defence Minister Prawit Wongsu-wan and Anupong should take responsibility by stepping down.
Anupong yesterday authorised police to search Khattiya's residence, in a military compound in Bangkok's Kiakkai subdistrict. Police found grenades, a personal computer and CDs in the home, as well as a pistol in Khattiya's car.
However, a separate search of the residence of his driver, Sergeant Natsit Suwannarat, in the same compound, found 32 grenades, 700 M16 ammunitions, three packs of C-4 explosive and 13 sticks of TNT, as well as some spent shells.
Police took Private Manaschai Khamporn - Khattiya's housekeeper - and Natsit into custody for possession of war weapons. Natsit told police he used to work with Khattiya.
Metropolitan Police commander Lt-General Santhan Chayanon said Natsit and some of the weapons might link Khattiya to the attack.
"If the investigation finds he was involved, police will seek an arrest warrant," he said.
Speaking by phone from Songkhla yesterday, Khattiya said a search of his home would turn up nothing, because he did not keep any war weapons at home. "Many people dislike Anupong, or maybe some 'third hand' wants to create chaos. Don't blame me. You have no evidence to pin on me. If I had done it, he'd be dead now, but I would not do such a thing, because he's my friend," Khattiya said.
A grenade fired from an M79 launcher landed in a room in front of Anupong's office at Army HQ early last Friday morning, but authorities kept silent about it until media broke the story yesterday.
Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the grenade exploded without attracting the attention of security guards. The Army only realised about it after officials in the IT centre received an alert something was amiss. Bomb-disposal experts confirmed there had been an explosion, he said.
Sansern said the Army was not trying to cover up the incident, but nobody had asked about it before.
The attack was a serious wake-up call, with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday warning of more incidents and ordering security to be tightened at government buildings.
He said the attackers only wanted attention and had not intended to kill Army chief Anupong Paochinda.
The suspect, Khattiya - also known as "Seh Daeng" - was previously suspended from duty for violating military regulations. He denied any involvement, saying he was not even in the capital at the time.
Khattiya was not on the late-evening flight from Hat Yai as expected. Police were reportedly due to arrest him at Suvarnabhumi Airport on arrival at around 9.30pm. No police or military police were found waiting at the airport to make any arrest.
Khattiya has been in conflict with Anupong over the former's suspension for his role in siding with ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra. He had also sneaked out of the country many times to visit Thaksin.
The attack is an embarrassment for the Army, Khattiya said, adding Defence Minister Prawit Wongsu-wan and Anupong should take responsibility by stepping down.
Anupong yesterday authorised police to search Khattiya's residence, in a military compound in Bangkok's Kiakkai subdistrict. Police found grenades, a personal computer and CDs in the home, as well as a pistol in Khattiya's car.
However, a separate search of the residence of his driver, Sergeant Natsit Suwannarat, in the same compound, found 32 grenades, 700 M16 ammunitions, three packs of C-4 explosive and 13 sticks of TNT, as well as some spent shells.
Police took Private Manaschai Khamporn - Khattiya's housekeeper - and Natsit into custody for possession of war weapons. Natsit told police he used to work with Khattiya.
Metropolitan Police commander Lt-General Santhan Chayanon said Natsit and some of the weapons might link Khattiya to the attack.
"If the investigation finds he was involved, police will seek an arrest warrant," he said.
Speaking by phone from Songkhla yesterday, Khattiya said a search of his home would turn up nothing, because he did not keep any war weapons at home. "Many people dislike Anupong, or maybe some 'third hand' wants to create chaos. Don't blame me. You have no evidence to pin on me. If I had done it, he'd be dead now, but I would not do such a thing, because he's my friend," Khattiya said.
A grenade fired from an M79 launcher landed in a room in front of Anupong's office at Army HQ early last Friday morning, but authorities kept silent about it until media broke the story yesterday.
Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the grenade exploded without attracting the attention of security guards. The Army only realised about it after officials in the IT centre received an alert something was amiss. Bomb-disposal experts confirmed there had been an explosion, he said.
Sansern said the Army was not trying to cover up the incident, but nobody had asked about it before.
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