Court hands down death sentence for two men convicted of murdering Ekkayuth

The Criminal Court today sentenced two convicts to death after find them guilty of killing Ekkayuth Anchanbutr in June last year.

Six people, including Ekkayuth’s driver Santiparp Pengduang, alias “Ball” , and five others were arrested in connection with the kidnap and murder of the pyramid scheme operator and political activist, Ekkayuth, on June 6 last year.

At the hearing of the verdict today, the court ruled that Santiparp and his conspirator, Suthipong Pimpiusan, alias “Berm”, were guilty of kidnapping and robbing Ekkayuth of 6.6 million in cash and assets at gunpoint between June 6-9, 2013 in Bangkok as charged by the state attorney.

According to the attorney, the two convicts strangled Ekkayuth to death and then drove his body to Phatthalung province in the South for burial.

Two more persons, Chavalit Wunchum, and Tiwakorn Kuathong, helped them to bury the body.

Santiparp left 4 million baht in cash with his parents, Sgt Ithipol and Jitampohai Pengduang to deposit in bank.

Santiparp was later arrested in Samut Sakhon province and later confessed to the kidnap and murder.

He later identified other conspirators who included his parents.

The court then sentenced Santiparp and Suthipong to death.

But their confessions were helpful to the court trial, the death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Chavalit was given 13 months in prison, plus six months in another court case in Phatthalung, while Tiwakorn also given eight months.

His parents get one year and four months for taking stolen cash for hiding.

Thai PBS

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