Arrest warrant issued for Thaksin supporter’s close aide

BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) – A Thai court on Thursday approved an arrest warrant for Mr Pornwat Thongsomboon, a close associate of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s staunch supporter Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, on charges of using the electronic media to incite unrest and threatening the public.

The arrest warrant was issued following the appearance of his video clip uploaded on the YouTube.com website February 26. In the video, he talked about bombings and chaos which might take place in Bangkok– one day before the February 27 bombing incidents at Bangkok Bank branches in the capital and suburban Samut Prakan province.

Central Investigation Bureau Commander Tha-ngai Pratsajaksatru, meanwhile, ordered crime suppression police to track targeted persons suspected to be involved in security-related cases.

Initially police seized software with Mr Pornwat’s video clip threatening public order posted on the website. The officers are seeking any other persons with possible links to the criminal action.

Meanwhile, Nattawut Boonmanyuen who hired the server to Mr Pornwat, said he did not know the people who used his service as there are many customers.

The server itself was later seized by the police.

He added that the computer server used by Mr Pornwat has been rented since last year by a Red Shirt supporter who passed away in early 2010. After the death, the server was subleased to another person who said he would set up web board for a politically-related dicussions.

The police will coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to inspect the suspects’ record of activities on the server as well as payments for the service.

Regarding ammunition found at Mr Pornwat’s home in February, Pol Lt-Gen Tha-ngai said that this case will be transferred to the Crime Suppression Division pending the approval of Acting Police Chief Patheep Tanprasert.

Mr Pornwat, alias K-Thong, was earlier charged with arms possession, according to the police. (TNA)