Thailand: Cop to lose $37 million assets

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Authorities in Thailand said on Monday that a former district police chief jailed for torturing a suspect to death will have undeclared assets worth $37 million seized after being discovered to be "unusually wealthy."

Thitisan Utthanaphon, dubbed "Joe Ferrari" for his taste in expensive cars, was sentenced to life in prison in June after a case that shed rare light on police abuse and corruption in the kingdom.

"His income, which came from serving as a government official, does not match with the assets he has," Niwatchai Gasemmongkol, spokesperson for the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission told journalists.

The committee concluded that he was "unusually wealthy" and that the state should seize his assets worth about $37 million, he added.

Following his imprisonment, revelations regarding Thitisan's lavish lifestyle and a string of celebrity romances grabbed headlines.

According to investigators, he owned a luxury mansion in Bangkok and a fleet of 42 high-end vehicles, including a $1.5 million Lamborghini Aventador, all while earning a police superintendent's salary of around $1,300 per month.

The death of Jirapong Thanapat, 24, was initially classified as an amphetamine overdose until a lawyer revealed the cause of death in a Facebook post.

Thitisan and six other cops were shown on video placing seven plastic bags around his head while questioning him and attempting to extort $60,000, which led to his death.

The former district chief of Nakhon Sawan province surrendered to authorities after their raid on his Bangkok residence.

In a press conference after his surrender, Thitisan claimed Jirapong's death was an accident.