Stealing hotel paintings: Thai official arrested in Japan

After paintings in hallway went missing, CCTV footage revealed Commerce Ministry deputy director general as thief.

CRIME

Senior Thai official arrested in Japan for stealing hotel paintings

25/01/2017
Online Reporters

A high-ranking Thai government official in the Commerce Ministry has been caught stealing three paintings from a hotel in Kyoto, Japan.

The official has been identified by Japanese media as Suphat Saquandeekul of the Intellectual Property Department of the Commerce Ministry (see here).

The man is reportedly currently a deputy director-general of the Commerce Ministry and former executive director of the Bureau of Asean Affairs at the Commerce Ministry (read an interview with him about his education in Japan here)

He was traveling to Japan for a meeting about patents with Japanese counterparts, as he often does (see here).

PAINTINGS IN THE HOTEL CORRIDOR MISSING: CCTV REVEALS THIEF

Japanese media reported on Wednesday that Tokyo police had arrested a Thai man suspected of stealing three paintings worth 15,000 yen (4,600 baht) in total from the hotel on Tuesday.

The arrest came after the hotel staff discovered that the three paintings decorating the corridors of the hotel's 9th and 10th floors were missing.

Footage of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV footage) showed the Thai hotel guest taking the paintings from the walls of the hotels, Matichon Online reported on Wednesday.

After being alerted, police searched a bag of the guest when he was about to check out and found the three paintings inside.

He was held in custody at a police station in Kyoto pending procedures to send him to the court.

According to the police investigation, the suspect only said he worked at the Commerce Ministry.

DEJA VU: BANGKOK CITY POLICE CHIEF'S ARREST TWO YEARS AGO

It was only two years ago in July 2015 that Bangkok's former police chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang on a visit to Japan was arrested for possession of a small undeclared handgun in the luggage he was carrying for a flight. 

In Japan laws are strict, even if the accused made a mistake, and the former police chief ended up spending three weeks in jail before he was released, deported from Japan and allowed to return to Thailand.

COMMERCE MINISTRY LAUNCHES FACT-FINDING INQUIRY

Commerce Ministry permanent secretary Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa on Wednesday ordered the Thai government's commercial attaché in Japan to launch a fact -finding inquiry.

The ministry has also coordinated with the Thai embassy in Japan to ask for information while awaiting explanations from the accused official, who could not be contacted for the time being.

"The accused deputy director-general has left for Japan to attend a meeting at the Thai consulate in Osaka."

"The commerce office in Osaka is coordinating (with Japanese authorities) and legal procedures are being taken. The facts will be known after his return to Thailand’’ said the permanent secretary.

Deputy Commerce Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong promised justice to all sides, saying the results of the ministry's investigation was expected to be known in 1-2 days.

CASE SHOULD NOT AFFECT CONFIDENCE IN THAI OFFICIALS

Mr Sonthirat assured that the case was an anomaly that should not affect confidence in Thai officials visiting foreign countries, according to Prachachat.net.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said the Thai embassy and consulate in Japan have already learned about the matter from Japanese media and were in the process of coordinating with relevant agencies.

Japanese authorities declined to give personal details of the accused official to protect his rights, said Mr Sek.

The Thai embassy and the consulate would provide an interpreter and a lawyer for the accused official.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1186497/senior-thai-official-caught-in-japan-for-stealing-paintings

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2017/01/25/commerce-official-arrested-japan-stealing-hotel-paintings/\

http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/12584198/

https://www.ipthailand.go.th/th/executive.html

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