SC Asset employees nabbed for doctoring PM’s audio clip

BANGKOK, Aug 31 (TNA) – Thai police on Monday nabbed two employees of the Shinawatra family-related business SC Asset Corporation on charges of doctoring an audio clip of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva so that it appeared that he ordering the nation’s security forces to crack down violently against anti-government protesters in mid-April.

Pol Col Supisarn Bhakdeenaruenard, deputy commander of the Police Crime Suppression Division, said that two business relations staff of SC Asset Corporation were detained for questioning after police found that they had altered the premier’s audio clip and distributed it via the Internet.

Col Supisarn said the two accused confessed to police that they had edited the clip and emailed it only among the company’s employees.

They said they did not know how the edited clip could have spread among the public and said they did not know that their action violates the computer crime act, Col Supisarn said.

SC Asset is a leading integrated property company, and is run by Yingluck Shinawatra, the youngest sister of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The doctored audio clip of the prime minister allegedly featured Mr Abhisit ordering security personnel to use violence to suppress anti-government protesters from the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) during mid-April to cause chaos at the time of then-scheduled ASEAN Summit in Pattaya and used the incident as an excuse to impose an Emergency Decree to control the situation.

The premier however insisted he had not said such words and said the clip was doctored in order to discredit the government and to incite the public to cause turmoil.

Police have tracked the origin of the emails in which the clip has been sent through and found that it was first sent by an SC Asset employee.

The deputy commander said the two employees have been charged of diffusing false information via internet which could affect and damage Thailand’s  national security.

The two accused however have been released on bail of Bt100,000 each.

Col Supisarn said that police were seeking a court ordered search warrant of Mrs Yingluck’s company Monday afternoon. (TNA)