A former Thai police chief who was imprisoned perpetuated three years ago for torturing a drug suspect to death was found dead in his Bangkok prison cell, the authorities announced.
Thisan Utthanaphon, nicknamed Joe Ferrari for his many luxury cars, died by suicide, according to a preliminary autopsy.
In 2021, a disclosed video showed Thitean and his colleagues wrapping plastic bags around the head of a 24 -year -old drug suspect during an interrogation, leading to the death of the suspect.
The video sparked national indignation at that time on police brutality in Thailand. He made new rounds on social networks following the death of Thisitant.
The Ministry of Justice of Thailand launched an investigation into his death after his family expressed doubts that he committed suicide. Other tests were necessary to confirm that he had actually died in suicide, the authorities said.
The Minister of Justice, Tawee Sodsong, said on Monday that all the evidence of Thisting should be disclosed and urged the prison authorities to cooperate with the investigators.
The family said Thisitant had already been attacked by a prison personnel. They said that the officials had not allowed them to see his body, which was found in his cell on Friday.
But on Sunday, the authorities said: “No prison agent or detainee injured or caused (his) dead”.
A previous raid on Thisitant’s house revealed that he had a dozen luxury sports cars. Authorities believe that it had at least 42 years, including a rare Lamborghini Aventador Anniversario, of which only 100 were manufactured, at the cost of Thailand at 47 million baht (1.45 million dollars; 1.05 million pounds sterling).
As a police colonel, Thisisant was paid about $ 1,000 a month.
There were allegations that he demanded suspect bribes in viral video, Jirapong Thanapat, while suffocating it. Thitisant denied this.
Thisitant went in 2021 after a manhunt.
In addition to Thissent, five other police officers were found guilty of the murder of Jirapong and were also sentenced to life prison in 2022.
“It was as if he had paid the karma he had committed,” Jirapong’s father said on a interview on the local media on Saturday.
The Ministry of Correctional Services said that they had investigated a previous complaint filed by the family of Thisting alleging that he had been intimidated and assaulted by police earlier this year.
Thisisant had consulted doctors on anxiety problems and sleep problems, the department said.
His family visited him on the day of his death and the prison staff not noticed any “anomaly,” he said.
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