The announcement wraps up a long-running, high-profile investigation also involving alleged fraud in the ownership of a large portfolio of shares after the victim’s death.
Col Chakrit Sawasdee, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said prosecutors had seen the CSD case report and agreed to press a charge of colluding in premeditated murder.
They had told the CSD to bring Banyin in for indictment by June 15.
The deputy commander said the CSD would summons Lt Col (retired) Banyin to report at 9am on June 8 and then take him to the public prosecutors.
Chuwong, 50, was found dead in the front passenger seat after Lt Col Banyin drove his Lexus SUV into a tree in Prawet district, Bangkok, on June 26, 2015.
Lt Col Banyin survived the incident unscathed. The vehicle suffered minor damage.
Police at Udomsuk station initially attributed the death to the crash. The CSD took over the investigation and suspected Lt Col Banyin of colluding in murder and that the accident was a set up to cover the murder.
Col Chakrit said public prosecutors agreed with the CSD’s finding after several rounds of requesting additional investigation and information.
The deputy commander said that Mr Chuwong was clubbed to death. Before the death, Lt Col Banyin had invited Mr Chuwong to a round of golf that night. Police were looking into how many accomplices were involved, Col Chakrit said.
The murder motive was the fraudulent ownership of a portfolio of shares, he said.
The case involved Lt Col Banyin, who had known Mr Chuwong for a few years before his death, and three women.
They were suspected of stealing Mr Chuwong’s stocks using forged documents.
Mr Chuwong’s family earlier filed their own case in court, accusing Lt Col Banyin of murder.
Col Chakrit said he expected the two cases would be combined.
Lt Col Banyin was earlier released on bail of B5 million and prohibited from leaving the country in the documents forgery case.
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