Confusion remains on drug link
Police: No evidence to implicate the German

Confusion over whether Wolfgang Ullrich has anything to do with drug
trafficking mounted yesterday when two leading narcotics suppression
agencies denied they had concrete evidence to prove he was a leading drug
trafficker as charged.

The secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, Phayont
Pansri, and Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen
Komkrith Patpongpanich said their agencies did not have any evidence that
could implicate Mr Ullrich, who is under detention facing charges of illegal
entry and tax dodging, in narcotics trafficking.

Mr Payont made this known to a close aide of Interior Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart last week, according to an informed source at the Interior
Ministry.

The source said a number of interior minister's advisers were reportedly
confused by the accusations made by some police officers that Mr Ullrich was
directly involved in drug trafficking.

"So far we have no evidence that could implicate him in drug trading," said
Pol Lt-Gen Komkrith, who also denied that he has in his possession evidence
from a German narcotics police officer linking Mr Ullrich to the drugs
trade.

Police chief Pol Gen Pracha Promnok and his assistant Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol
Somboonsap, former NSB commissioner, have reportedly told Maj-Gen Sanan that
a German narcotics police officer supplied evidence to the National Police
Office implicating Mr Ullrich, 55, who was declared persona non grata in
1997.

The claim has reportedly caused unease in officials from the German embassy,
which denied that its narcotics police officer supplied any evidence.

German narcotics police officer Uwe Jurgensen clearly stated in his letter
to NSB Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Komkrith on December 16, 1998 that the
embassy did not have any evidence that could link Mr Ullrich to the drugs
trade.

"Since this office does not have any evidence of Mr Ullrich's involvement in
drug trafficking, I kindly request any information if the investigation of
the Royal Thai Police shows any illegal activity or participation by Mr
Ullrich in drug trafficking so far," Mr Uwe said. The German officer's
letter was made in response to Pol Lt-Gen Komkrith's letter asking the
officer to clarify the report that Mr Ullrich is a drug trafficker.

Over the claim made by Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol, who charged that Mr Ullrich is a
member of the Surachai "Bang Ron" Ngernthongfu's drug ring, a source at the
NSB said several senior police officers at the NSB including its
commissioner were reportedly surprised by the claim.

"It is too early to make such a conclusion," noted one senior police
officer.

Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol believed that Bang Ron, a leading amphetamine trader who
is still at large, and Mr Ullrich might have collaborated in supplying
amphetamines from Thailand to groups of labourers in Germany.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart went to Pattaya Friday
night and ordered police there to investigate if Mr Ullrich was involved in
drug trafficking as alleged.

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday also questioned why immigration
police allowed the German businessman to walk in and out of the country
several times last year despite the fact that he was on a police blacklist.

I am very happy to see someone caring and reporting about this
unbelievable mistreating of a human being by the thai authorities!

I was allready wondering that nobody cared or wrote about it.

Things like this, happened to Mr. Ullrich, can actually happen to
everybody for minor reasons, esp. if not having enough money to bribe
oneselve free. I know personally of many such incidents happened before
to people of all nationalities - put behind bars in Thailand for
invented or minor reasons, just because of police-greed and jealousy!

Please try to provide the E-Mail adresses from all institutions and from
the thai embassy in Bangkok here in this ng, so people can help by
bombarding them all with E-Mails.

What about 'Amnesty International'? I would allready consider him a
'political prisoner'! (I reported it to A.I. allready by Fax!)

Everbody should try to help and complain to every institution
imaginable!

Guilty or not, I don't know, but at least there has to be a
court-hearing in the first place and a general handling according to
international accepted standards and law! The german government has to
do something and act immediately!

Stephan

You are right, what happens to Mr. Ullrich is unbelievable and a disgrace
for Thailand and it's people. By the way, the other German in the picture
mentioned in the papers is myself. I suffered the same fate 9 years ago and
lost everything I had. The trumped up charges were similar, the goings of
the case equal. Just I was lucky to be able to leave earlier. Until today I
am slandered in Thai newspapers, most recently by The Nation. I was never
brought to court, just accused, accused, accused.

I doubt there is a working system of justice in Thailand, and I doubt
anybody in power there has the dignity to admit a mistake.

I know Mr. Ullrich for 16 years, and neither he or myself have ever had any
connection to drugdealing, murders, or any illegal business. Now the Thai
'authorities' are demolishing his existence for reasons of greed and
selfishness. May God punish those responsible.

Kind regards

Lothar Kroehn

CHRISTIAN DR. GAeRTNER <dr.gaert...@tronet.de> wrote in message
news:79jlte$gi8$1@fermi.tro.net...

Stephan Hinder schrieb in Nachricht <36BE4828.7...@detmold.netsurf.de>...

      NATIONAL police chief Pol Gen Pracha Promnok alleged
      yesterday that Wolfgang Ullrich's yacht, the centre of a
      bribery scandal, had been used to smuggle narcotics to
      the United States from 1994 to 1997.

      Police Commissioner-General Pracha said the
      department had monitored Ullrich's activities since 1995,
      but had to keep the information confidential.

      Pracha said suspicions about Ullrich had been confirmed
      by German police during Deputy Police
      Commissioner-General Pol Gen Narongwit Thaithong's
      visit to Germany. He left for Germany on Feb 1 and
      returned yesterday.

      Pracha spoke to reporters after Narongwit met and
      briefed him about the German visit.

      He said German police told Narongwit that two associates
      of Ullrich had been sought on German arrest warrants.

      The police chief said Narongwit had been assigned to
      check all evidence against Ullrich and he is scheduled to
      complete it next week.

      Ullrich is being detained at the Immigration Bureau after
      violating a blacklist and sneaking back into the country.

      The German businessman has alleged that he had paid
      up to Bt22 million as bribes to various politicians to help
      him get off the immigration blacklist.

(The Nation  12.02.99)