A school director was shot dead at his wife’s grocery shop in Muang district by a young man posing as a customer late on Wednesday afternoon.
The victim was identified as Saho Muleng, director of Ban Tabing Tingi School in Pattani’s Mayo district, who was assigned to assist work at the sports office of the Pattani Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO).
His wife has a grocery shop at the PAO market in tambon Sateng in Muang district of Yala.
Police investigators reported that about 5.12pm Saho was helping his wife at the shop after work when a young man entered, acting like customer. He walked up to Saho and shot him once in the head with a handgun before fleeing.
Soho was admitted to the provincial hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
However, later developments reveal that the suspected gunman is a police officer.
Following an hour-long standoff, a border patrol police officer was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murdering the director of a local school in his own home.
Police said Lance Cpl. Nirand Im-erb, 26, gunned down Saho Muleng on Wednesday following a heated argument at the victim’s residence in Yala province. Nirand was reportedly not cooperating with investigators.
Circumstantial evidence so far points to Nirand’s involvement. Nirand, who’s enlisted with the Border Patrol’s 44th Task Force, was on duty with his partner when they stopped by Saho’s home, which doubles as a grocery store. After Nirand entered the store, gunshots were heard, and the officer then fled. Saho was found dead inside.
Having identified Nirand as the likely perpetrator, security officers surrounded his home on Thursday morning and spent an hour negotiating his surrender. He eventually relented and was taken to Yala City Police Station for questioning. He was then charged with murder.
(Source: Bangkok Post and Khaosodenglish News))