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| Bangkok bombing: claim of broken CCTV adds to investigators' woes | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Police in Thailand say they have used their “imagination” to piece together the movements of the prime suspect in a bomb attack at a shrine last week that killed 20 people because most of the security cameras on the getaway route were broken. | |
| Related: Bangkok explosion: fatal blast at Erawan shrine | Related: Bangkok explosion: fatal blast at Erawan shrine |
| The claim by the country’s police chief is the latest setback to a haphazard investigation in which police and politicians have released contradictory information. Days have passed with few new clues about who planned the country’s deadliest bomb attack in recent history or why. | |
| The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, told reporters that authorities also lacked high-tech equipment used on the popular TV crime series CSI to clarify blurry footage of the suspect, who was seen in grainy video dropping a bag at the scene of the blast minutes before the explosion. | The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, told reporters that authorities also lacked high-tech equipment used on the popular TV crime series CSI to clarify blurry footage of the suspect, who was seen in grainy video dropping a bag at the scene of the blast minutes before the explosion. |
| “Have you seen CSI?” Somyot asked reporters. “We don’t have those things. | “Have you seen CSI?” Somyot asked reporters. “We don’t have those things. |
| “The perpetrator was driving away escaping and there are CCTV cameras following him. Sometimes there were 20 cameras on the street but only five worked. Fifteen were broken. For whatever reason, they didn’t work. | “The perpetrator was driving away escaping and there are CCTV cameras following him. Sometimes there were 20 cameras on the street but only five worked. Fifteen were broken. For whatever reason, they didn’t work. |
| “The footage jumps around from one camera to another, and for the missing parts police have had to use their imagination. We’ve had to waste time connecting the dots.” | |
| Bangkok Metropolitan Authority rejected the criticism. An adviser to the Bangkok governor said there are 107 security cameras in the vicinity of the attack, of which four were broken the night of 17 August and promptly fixed. However, only one of the faulty cameras was along the man’s suspected path, he said. | |
| “There was only one broken camera at Rajaprasong intersection, and that would not distort the investigation,” he said. “Please do not use the impairment of one camera to generalise that all the security cameras in Bangkok are inefficient.” | |
| Somyot said he was not sure if the suspect was still in the country. | |
| “Since the bombing, we’ve barely slept. We’re doing the best we can,” he said. | |
| “I still believe he is in Thailand because I have no evidence to confirm otherwise.” | |
| A police spokesman, Prawut Thawornsiri, said earlier that he suspected the man may have fled the country. | A police spokesman, Prawut Thawornsiri, said earlier that he suspected the man may have fled the country. |
| Patience is wearing thin in Thailand, where people are still in in shock over a bombing that left 120 people injured and has threatened the country’s vital tourism industry, especially if authorities are unable to prevent repeat attacks. | Patience is wearing thin in Thailand, where people are still in in shock over a bombing that left 120 people injured and has threatened the country’s vital tourism industry, especially if authorities are unable to prevent repeat attacks. |
| Last week the prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, ruled out help from international investigators, but said he would welcome equipment sharing. | Last week the prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, ruled out help from international investigators, but said he would welcome equipment sharing. |
| Last Thursday Prayuth suggested Thai police might want to use inspiration from the hit American crime series Blue Blood, according to the Bangkok Post. | Last Thursday Prayuth suggested Thai police might want to use inspiration from the hit American crime series Blue Blood, according to the Bangkok Post. |
| “Police investigators, especially the national police chiefs, should watch this series – they will get tips, ideas and insights for their case,” he was quoted as saying about the show, which stars Tom Selleck as an irreverent New York police commissioner and Vietnam war veteran. | “Police investigators, especially the national police chiefs, should watch this series – they will get tips, ideas and insights for their case,” he was quoted as saying about the show, which stars Tom Selleck as an irreverent New York police commissioner and Vietnam war veteran. |
| “Although our officers may not be as capable as those in the series, we are good in our own league,” he said. | “Although our officers may not be as capable as those in the series, we are good in our own league,” he said. |
| The military junta, which took power in a coup during May 2014 after months of violent protests, has vowed to bring stability and heal the country. Thailand has suffered years of political turmoil but never a large peace-time bombing in the capital like that at the Erawan shrine. | The military junta, which took power in a coup during May 2014 after months of violent protests, has vowed to bring stability and heal the country. Thailand has suffered years of political turmoil but never a large peace-time bombing in the capital like that at the Erawan shrine. |
| Police searches in the capital have been increased and taxi and motor-taxi drivers have been asked to come forward if they have any information related to the case. Several have said they believe they gave the suspect rides but none have been confirmed. | Police searches in the capital have been increased and taxi and motor-taxi drivers have been asked to come forward if they have any information related to the case. Several have said they believe they gave the suspect rides but none have been confirmed. |
| The country’s army leaders, also called the national council for peace and order, released a statement on Tuesday addressing what is called the “public’s concern on the development of the investigation”. | The country’s army leaders, also called the national council for peace and order, released a statement on Tuesday addressing what is called the “public’s concern on the development of the investigation”. |
| “We would also like to inform the public that the investigation has to be done in a careful manner in which all aspects of the case are to be considered,” it said. | “We would also like to inform the public that the investigation has to be done in a careful manner in which all aspects of the case are to be considered,” it said. |
| “Certain developments cannot be revealed as they are sensitive and may affect the investigation. We would like to reiterate that there has been a lot of progress on the case thanks to the work undertaken by government personnel and the information received from our network of intelligence agencies.” | “Certain developments cannot be revealed as they are sensitive and may affect the investigation. We would like to reiterate that there has been a lot of progress on the case thanks to the work undertaken by government personnel and the information received from our network of intelligence agencies.” |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |