Forest official faces murder probe over Kanchanaburi killing

 In addition to the police investigation, Songwuth Udom, 27, also faces a departmental inquiry over the killing of Chalit Jintana, the director of Tambon Plai Na Suan Hospital. 
Pol Lt-Colonel Pornchai Phetcharoen from Dan Mae Chalaeb Police Station said yesterday that Songwuth had confessed to killing the 40-year-old Chalit due to paranoia and jealousy about his wife, who worked at the same health office as the deceased man. 
The suspect reportedly admitted to lying in wait with a HK33 rifle for Chalit on his route to and from work and shooting twice at Chalit’s pick-up truck, police said. 
Chalit sustained a gunshot in his arm and tried to flee from the truck on foot, but Songwuth allegedly chased him and killed him before fleeing the scene, police said. 
At 1.30pm, Pornchai brought Songwuth to perform a re-enactment of the crime at three locations where he spotted the victim, where he shot him and at the Mae Lamoon Forest Protection Unit where he obtained the rifle.
Songwuth was detained as of press time and was to be brought to a provincial court as police applied for a detention order later.
The reported confession followed comments made earlier yesterday by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation chief Thanya Netithammakun that an initial investigation had found that the shooting might be related to Songwuth’s personal conflict with Chalit. 
Thanya also instructed supervisors to enact stricter controls over forest protection officials’ possession of HK33 assault rifles and ensure that rifles are returned after patrols are completed. Songwuth reportedly was armed with an HK33 rifle while he was out on a forest patrol and did not return the weapon afterwards. 
Chalit was killed at 6.45pm on Monday on a local road in Ban Mae Lamoon village and Songwuth later surrendered to police. He initially claimed to have shot at Chalit’s car because he had mistaken the man for an illegal logger.