The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has instructed police in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district to clear doubts over their handling of an assault case involving the death of a 47-year-old woman.
Investigators are under fire after a TV reporter found footage from security cameras showing that the victim, identified as Buaphan, was assaulted by a group of teenagers aged between 13-16.
Buaphan's husband Panya Khongsaengkham, 54, was arrested shortly after her dead body was found in a pond. Mr Panya initially reportedly confessed to the crime.
But after the security camera footage emerged, he was released, and the five teenagers were arrested and questioned in connection with Buaphan's death.
Amid reports that one of the teenagers is the son of a local policeman, the public has questioned the police's handling of the case and suspected that Mr Panya was made a scapegoat.
The chief of Aranyaprathet police station said a committee had been set up to find out why Mr Panya confessed to killing his wife.
He claimed that police had obtained the security camera footage and arrested the five teenagers before the news broke and that he found from media reports that one of the suspects was the son of a policeman.
He said police received a complaint on Jan 12, and they went with Mr Panya to the crime scene. Bloodstains were also found on his pants, and samples were sent for examination.
Citing witnesses, he said Mr Panya had a history of beating his wife and might have been under pressure to confess when questioned by police.
The policeman who is the father of one of the suspects has been transferred to the provincial police office to prevent any intervention.
According to local media reports, police were forced to review the case after CCTV footage submitted by a news channel revealed that Buaphan was allegedly being harassed and attacked by the five teenagers riding on two motorcycles.
The footage showed that after a row, she threw a bottle at them, which might have resulted in them assaulting her.
