POLICE plan to arrest nine people who they claim fabricated evidence in the fatal hit-and-run case involving Jomsap Saenmuangkhot, if the former teacher’s bid to clear her name is upheld.

Two police officers revealed the intention yesterday during the third and final witness hearing session at Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court.

Police, testifying for the prosecution, told the court friends of Jomsap initially brought a man named Sert Roopsa-ard to surrender to police and confess that he was the real driver of the pick-up truck involved in the March 11, 2005 fatal crash.

Prosecution witnesses included Sert and a villager Ubon Chaiban who said he bought a pick-up truck kept ownership in the name of Mukdahan man Sap Wapi in December 2004.

Six of the 14 prosecution witness yesterday were police. They were:

Renu Nakhon police station deputy superintendent Pol Lt Colonel Kittisak Samritsakulchai, who was the case investigator at the time;

Renu Nakhon precinct’s deputy inspector Pol Captain Khaibancha Wangkhahad;

Nakhon Phanom investigation superintendent Pol Colonel Pramote Uthakij;

Na Don Police Station’s original case investigator Pol Lt Colonel Adisak Chomsriharaj;

Former Mukdahan senator, Pol Lt Col Jitt Sriyoha Mukdathanapong, who said friends and relatives of Jomsap sought his legal advice;

Nong Bua Lamphu deputy police chief Pol Colonel Pairoj Kujirapan, who led the Provincial Police Region 4’s investigation team to probe evidence for Jomsap’s retrial.

Kittisak testified that teacher Suriya Nuancharoen along with eyewitness Thassanee Hanpayak told him at Renu Nakhon police station on December 23, 2013 that they brought Sert, who they maintained was the real culprit, to surrender. He said he recorded the statement in his log, but Sert did not enter the precinct but waited in a parked car outside.

Pramote testified that on January 7, 2014, Suriya, Jomsap’s husband Niran Saenmuangkhot, Sert, Sap and Thaksin Saisida sought legal advice from him on Jomsap’s retrial bid.

Later police in Nakhon Phanom ordered the Na Don police station to check facts about Suriya’s claim that Sert was the culprit and investigator Adisak interviewed Suriya’s group before Pramote sent them to seek legal advice from volunteer lawyers at the provincial justice office.

Pramote said, after he learnt of Jomsap’s retrial bid, Provincial Police Region 4 sent a team of investigators, including Pramote, to recheck the case.

They confirmed that Sap’s truck had been sold in 2002 to other villager Lan Thonkaew, who had resold it to current owner Ubon Chaiban. Ubon claimed he kept the truck with him at all time and that it wasn’t involved in the crash.

From that information combined with other evidences, police said they were convinced that nine people had fabricated evidence to help Jomsap’s case. They were; Suriya; Niran; Sap; Thaksin; Thassanee; and four other teacher friends of Jomsap.

Police would wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling following the witness hearings to proceed, Pramote said.

Pairoj said police did not object to Jomsap’s attempt to seek a retrial and, if the court exonerated her, police would continue to investigate to find the real culprit. However, Pairoj said, the claim that Sap was the real culprit was a fabricated evidence that must face legal action and police would keep Sert, who was initially set to take the “fall”, as a witness.

Provincial Police Region 4 deputy chief Pol Maj General Thanasak Ritthidechpaiboon, who attended the hearing but was not a witness, told reporters that police would probe Sap’s confession, as it was suspected to be fabricated by a group led by Suriya. Police would first wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling, he said.

Meanwhile, police spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said in Bangkok that police remained confident in witnesses and evidence that led to Jomsap being jailed.

He said, after this, the Supreme Court would consider and give its ruling based on information from witness hearings, while police would probe related points especially the alleged confession-for-hire network.

On Wednesday and Thursday morning, the plaintiff’s nine witnesses gave evidence with a focus on forensic evidence that Jomsap’s pick-up truck, which carried the licence plate “Bor Khor 56 Sakhon Nakhon”, had no trace of damage in the fatal crash and eyewitness testimony that the culprit was a 170cm-tall man.

Sert reportedly told the court on Thursday he was hired for Bt200,000 in late 2013 by another person but Suriya and Sap cancelled the deal the year after because Sert couldn’t drive.

Key players linked to fatal hit-and-run case 

Jomsap Saenmuangkhot, a former teacher based in Sakhon Nakhon, aged 54, who was sentenced to three years in jail following a fatal hit-and-run accident. Cyclist Lua Phorbumrung died in the March 11, 2005 incident in Renu Nakhon in Nakhon Phanom. Jomsap was freed in April 2015 after 18 months in jail.

Sap Wapi, who sold his pickup with a “Bor Khor 56 Mukdahan” plate to Lan Thonkaew in early 2003. Sap was taken to Renu Nakhon police in May 2014 and said he was the culprit. He paid compensation to Lua’s family in June 2014.

Ubon Chaiban, who bought Sap’s truck from Lan in December 2004, said people including his friend Prasian Thongmaha witnessed his purchase of the car.

Sert Roopsa-ard, who reportedly confessed to being hired to take the fall in the crime in January 2014.

Jomsap’s teacher friend Suriya Nuancharoen who brought Sert to Renu Nakhon police station in January 2014.

Jomsap’s husband Niran, who went to police in January 2014 with Sap, Sert, Suriya and another man, insisted that Sap sold his truck to Sert with no swap of ownership and that Sert drove the car in the fatal crash, then fled.

Former Mukdahan senator, Pol Lt Colonel Jitt Sriyoha Mukdathanapong, who Jomsap’s relatives, Suriya and Sap went to for legal advice to help Jomsap.

Deputy head of Renu Nakhon Police, Pol Lt Colonel Kittisak Samritsakulchai, who said Suriya had told him in late 2013, that Sert was the real culprit in the crash and sought advice about applying for a retrial.