Anti-Money Laundering Office Arrest Men for Embezzling Bt1.6 Billion

 

BANGKOK – The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the Royal Thai Police arrested two suspects for allegedly embezzling some Bt1.6 billion from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang (KMITL).

Police spokesman Pol Lt-General Prawuth Thavornsiri told a press conference that two suspects – KMITL finance division head Ampon Noisamrit, 56, and the ex-manager of Bank of Ayudhya’s Big C Srinakarin branch, Songklod Sriprasong, 40 – had been apprehended to face charges of forgery and using fake KMITL documents, and colluding to embezzle the institute’s money over a two-year period.

He said Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has now helped the police trace related money transactions involving more accomplices in the embezzlement.

Police believe many people were involved in the scam, while KMITL’s acting rector said he was not sure if any previous administrative executives were implicated. While acknowledging that the lost money had been held in reserve, hence its disappearance could affect future useful projects, Monai Krairiksh insisted the loss had not affected KMITL projects, or teaching and learning.

Suspicion first arose in October after Ampon reportedly withdrew Bt80 million from KMITL’s bank accounts in order to deposit the money into another account at the Bank of Ayudhya’s Big C Srinakarin branch, where Songklod then served as manager, for a higher interest rate, the spokesman explained.

The institute became suspicious of the strange cashier’s-cheque issuance and launched an investigation, during which it discovered that the recipient account belonged to another person identified as Poonsak Boonsawat.

Pol Lt-General Prawuth Thavornsiri said that the institute would cooperate with the police investigation, and that its committee had already gathered evidence and was ready to hand it over to the police upon request.

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