Police are investigating the origins of 12 million baht in cash found inside a plastic box near rubbish bins at a condo in Nonthaburi this week, despite a lawyer coming forward to claim ownership and insisting the money was legally earned.
A resident of the Muang Thong Thani condo discovered the box of cash on Friday evening and alerted police. The money was temporarily seized for investigation.
Taweewat Sengkaew, a lawyer and adviser to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), came forward on Friday evening to claim the cash. He was questioned for more than three hours.
Pol Maj Gen Kitthanes Thanananthaweesin, chief of Nonthaburi police, said Mr Taweewat claimed he had thrown out several items on Friday after his fifth-floor condo unit was damaged by a burst water pipe.
Mr Taweewat believed the plastic box contained only old clothes and discarded it, unaware that it held 12 million baht, Pol Maj Gen Kitthanes said.
The condo management confirmed the incident involving the broken pipe, but police are still verifying Mr Taweewat's account and have asked him to provide bank records to support his claim the money was withdrawn in 2020.
In a media interview, Mr Taweewat said the money was legally earned through his work as a lawyer and adviser to several companies.
He said he chose to keep the cash at home because he planned to enter politics and did not want to deposit it in a bank.
He also urged the media not to make unfounded links between the money and the NBTC, where he works as an adviser, particularly as the commission is scheduled to auction four spectrum bands on June 29.
According to Isra News Centre, a high-level source at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said Mr Taweewat also serves on the NACC's sub-committee examining unusual wealth, which adds a further complicating factor to the probe.
The source added the NACC will investigate whether the money was properly declared, as Mr Taweewat is the spouse of a senior NACC official who is legally required to disclose assets.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) said on Saturday that suspicions were understandable due to the large amount of money and the circumstances of its discovery. The agency is working with police on clearing up the matter.
Taweewat: Claims he threw it out