Politics Shooting
Verfasst: Di Jul 03, 2007 7:51 am
POLITICS SUNDAY NIGHT SHOOTING
Former TRT party's 'Rambo' shot and wounded in ambush
Nakhon Ratchasima _ A former Thai Rak Thai MP was slightly injured when shot on Sunday night and he says he believes the motive was political. Suporn Atthawong, also known as Rambo, was attacked while driving home on Khon Buri-Soeng Sang road in Khon Buri district about 11.25 pm, after dinner with a senior local police officer in Soeng Sang district.
He said a group of armed men in a pick-up truck without a registration plate number opened fire at his car.
He briefly returned fire, got out of the car and hid in a cassava field for about half an hour.
Mr Suporn, a three-time MP for Nakhon Ratchasima's constituency 12, believed the attack was political. He said a rival he refused to name wanted to be elected in the general election.
This unnamed rival also wanted revenge over a business conflict linked to an ethanol project in the province.
Mr Suporn is one of the 111 former executive members of TRT banned from politics for five years by the Constitution Tribunal on May 30.
Mr Suporn said although he was not allowed to hold office for the time being, he was not opting out of politics and was looking for a capable person to run in his constituency.
He said he visited people in his constituency every day and that he enjoyed solid support.
Pol Maj-Gen Amnart Anmart-ngarm, provincial police chief, said an investigation was under way. Five people had been questioned.
Bangkok Post July 3, 2007