Glass bottles containing liquid collected by forensic officers from the crime scene for examination and found to contain cyanide, at the Police Forensic Science Office, Bangkok. Photo: Khaosodenglish
The main suspect was identified as Sherine Chong, 56. Chong is accused of mixing cyanide into tea for the victims and also drinking it herself in an attempt to commit suicide. Tests showed traces of cyanide in the teapot, teacup and in the blood of one victim.
Thai investigators are looking into how the cyanide was brought into the hotel. Police have questioned a tour guide named Phan Ngoc Vu, 35, who knew Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, one of the dead.
The tour guide said that Ms. Lan had asked him to buy "snake medicine" (medicine to treat joint diseases for 11,000 baht). Vu then asked another tour guide to buy it for her. Police are currently checking security cameras and searching for this tour guide.
Police interrogate Vietnamese tour guide Phan Ngoc Vu, 35. Photo: Khaosodenglish.
"If Ms. Lan was the one who bought the poison, she could be considered the second suspect in this poisoning case," an investigative source revealed.
Police also questioned Ms. Lan’s ex-husband, Mr. Hung, for five hours. Mr. Hung, a civil servant, insisted that he had nothing to do with Ms. Lan’s business and said they were divorced. Before the incident, he had made a video call to his ex-wife.
Cause, motive
According to information from the victims' relatives, Ms. Chong hired Ms. Lan to act as an intermediary to convince Mr. Pham Hong Thanh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, along with several other contractors in Vietnam, to invest about 278,000 USD in a hospital construction project in Japan.
When the project failed to progress, the couple continued to demand payment from Ms. Chong. They had originally planned to meet in Japan to settle the debt, but when one of them failed to obtain a visa, they changed the meeting place to Thailand.
Ms. Chong arrived in Thailand on July 5, while Ms. Lan arrived on July 4. The other guests arrived in Thailand on different days, Mr. Thanh and Ms. Phuong arrived on July 12 and checked into the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel on two different days.
Ms. Chong stayed in room 502, where hotel staff later discovered six bodies.
In addition to Ms. Chong, Ms. Lan, and Mr. Thanh and his wife, the two other guests in the group were Mr. Tran Dinh Phu (37 years old) and Mr. Dang Hung Van (55 years old, American nationality). These two people have not invested in Ms. Chong's project, but were invited to discuss potential investments.
Security camera data shows that on July 14, five people in the group gathered in Ms. Chong’s room until midnight, then each went back to their own room. On July 15, when it was time to check out, the five people moved their luggage to Ms. Chong’s room 502 and ordered food from the hotel.
The hotel staff delivered the food at 1:51 p.m. on July 15 and took six minutes to prepare it before leaving. The waiter offered to make tea, but Ms. Chong refused and said she would make it herself. At this point, the staff noticed that Ms. Chong was quite nervous. After the waiter left at 1:57 p.m., at 2:03 p.m., the five people in the group entered room 502 one by one.
From that point on, no one entered or left the room until hotel staff discovered the bodies at around 4:30 p.m.
Police checked the group's eight suitcases but did not find any illegal or suspicious items.
The investigation is still ongoing and Thai police are working to find out how the cyanide was brought into the hotel and the real motive behind the poisoning.
NHAT DUY (according to Khaosodenglish)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/tiet-lo-nghi-can-thu-hai-trong-vu-nhom-nguoi-viet-bi-dau-doc-tai-khach-san-204240718090756533.htm
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