- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: The alleged assassin of a former Cambodian MP was a hired killer who says he committed the crime to repay a debt of gratitude, police revealed on Sunday (Jan 12).
Pol Maj-General Atthaphon Wongsiriprida, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, provided updates after interrogating Ekkaluck Paenoi, the suspect in the shooting of Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian opposition MP.
The suspect confessed that a benefactor, a civilian, had hired him to kill Lim, Atthaphon said.
During the initial interrogation, Ekkalak insisted he did not receive any payment, Atthaphon said.
He said he did it because, when he was in trouble after being dismissed from service, this person had supported him financially and was there for him when he needed advice, the police commander said.
“When the benefactor asked him for this favour, he said he hesitated for some time before agreeing as a way to repay the past kindness. The benefactor is a civilian," Atthaphon said.
Ekkaluck eventually accepted the job for a price of 60,000 baht, with an initial payment of 30,000 baht. He used part of this advance—2,000 baht—to redeem a pawned firearm.
The decision to accept the job took him about 24 hours, as he initially refused but was persuaded by the benefactor's repeated phone calls.
This aligns with evidence found on his mobile phone. However, police did not disclose whether the benefactor is a Thai national.
Police said that it was too early to say whether the suspect’s “benefactor” would become a suspect in the future.
A thorough investigation and analysis are required, along with evidence beyond the suspect's testimony, he said.
During questioning, Ekkaluck revealed that he had never travelled to Cambodia.
While carrying out the mission, he communicated with an individual via chat messages for directions on where and how to proceed.
These chats, conducted via the Line app, were with someone Ekkaluck claimed not to know personally.
An examination of the suspect's phone revealed that the person issuing instructions had sent photos and details of the target, including updates on Lim's location.
During Ekkaluck's escape to Cambodia, this person continued providing guidance through Line messages, directing him to specific locations.
Atthaphon disclosed that Ekkaluck had exercised his rights as a suspect and declined to participate in a re-enactment of the crime, citing concerns for his safety and a reluctance to face others.
Instead, he proposed having someone else act as his stand-in while he would provide details via video call, explaining what happened at each step.
Investigators plan to bring Ekkaluck before the Criminal Court on Monday (Jan 13) to seek police custody.
Lim was assassinated in Bangkok's Bang Lamphu area on Jan 7, just minutes after his arrival. He had come with his wife and older brother. - The Nation/ANN
