Accused fortuneteller dies in Thai military jail
Print Edition
A prominent Thai fortuneteller accused of insulting the monarchy has died in custody, authorities said yesterday, becoming the second person in connection with the high-profile case to die behind bars.
The fortuneteller, Suriyan Sujaritpalawong, died of a blood infection last Saturday at the military prison where he had been detained since mid-October, the Justice Ministry said.
He was known as a celebrity fortuneteller popular with officialdom and the Thai elite, and his death sparked immediate skepticism on social media about why authorities waited two days to reveal his death.
The military government has declared that defense of the monarchy is its priority, and it has vigorously pursued prosecutions under the law, trying such cases in military courts. Lese majeste, or insulting the monarchy, is punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya told a news conference yesterday Suriyan had died of a personal health problem that had required medical treatment several times during his detention.
The Corrections Department said in a statement that a guard found him unconscious in his cell bed on Saturday night and sent him to the prison hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy identified the cause of death as septicemia.
The announcement of the death came two weeks after a senior police officer also implicated in the case allegedly hanged himself while in custody.
They were among three suspects arrested last month in a case involving people who allegedly exploited ties with the monarchy for personal enrichment. The third suspect, Suriyan’s assistant, is still in custody.
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