The mother of drowned actress Nida "Tangmo" Patcharaveerapong on Monday asked to withdraw a request she earlier made to the Senate committee on human rights, liberty and consumer protection for an investigation into the police handling of her daughter's death.
Panida Sirayootyotin asked committee chairman senator Somchai Sawaengkarn that she be allowed to withdraw the letter filed by her former lawyer Krissana Sriboonpim.
She had authorised Mr Krissana to write the letter, which was signed by her, asking the committee to look into the case. But after appointing a new lawyer, Decha Kittiwitthayanan, she found that the letter did not correctly convey her intention.
Mr Decha advised her to withdraw the letter, she said.
She was accompanied by Mr Decha when she met Mr Somchai.
Mr Somchai accepted the letter, and said Ms Panida's latest request would be considered by the committee at a meeting next week.
He also insisted the committee had not interfered with the police case, but worked straightforwardly to ensure justice to all concerned.
Former chief forensic examiner Pornthip Rojanasunan, a member of the Senate committee, also said on Monday there had been no attempt to interfere in the police case.
Mr Somchai said before meeting her that the committee had accepted Ms Panida's petition to look into her daughter's death because it was a criminal case which affected many people.
The committee believed it would be in the interests of the public. It was a matter of public confidence in the justice process.
The committee had already planned to consider the request at a meeting next week, he said. How the committee would proceed with the matter would be discussed then.
The request by Ms Panida to withdraw her petition would not affect the committee's work, he said. The committee was not involved for the publicity.
The senator said many members of his committee were involved in the reform of the justice process.
Police could rest assured the committee would not interfere in their handling of the case. The committee was not empowered to order police to do as it wanted.
The committee had gone to Nonthaburi police station only to inspect the speedboat that Tangmo was travelling in on the Chao Phraya river when she drowned on Feb 24, Mr Somchai said.
Khunying Pornthip also said the committee had not interfered in the police investigation. It had only advised police how to protect the evidence from environmental damage.
She believed the committee would continue its investigation and the findings would help it determine where the justice process should undergo reform.
Tangmo was with five other people when she fell from the speedboat on the night of Feb 24. Her body was found in the river two days later.
The boat belongs to Tanupat "Por" Lerttaweewit, one of two people charged with negligence leading to her death. The other is the man who admitted he was driving the boat when a "lurch" toppled her overboard.
