Senior Thai official arrested in Japan for stealing hotel paintings is released

BANGKOK, Jan 28 (TNA) -- A senior Thai Commerce Ministry official who was arrested for stealing three paintings from a hotel in Kyoto, Japan, has been released after paying fines, said a Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman. The arrested official identified as Suphat Saquandeekul, deputy director-general of Department of Intellectual Property, was released on Friday at 5.50pm (Japanese time), the spokesman said. Mr Suphat was released after paying fines and damages to the hotel, the spokesman said, adding that the Thai consulate in Osaka provided facilities to him to meet his family members who had travelled to Japan. Mr Suphat is awaiting to return home, the spokesman added. He travelled to Japan for a meeting about patents with Japanese counterparts. According to reports by Japanese media on Wednesday, police arrested him on Tuesday after finding three paintings worth 15,000 yen (4,600 baht) belonging to the hotel. The arrest came after the hotel staff discovered the three paintings decorated the corridors of the hotel’s 9th and 10th floors were missing. After being alerted, police searched Mr Suphat’s bag when he was about to check out and found the missing paintings inside. (TNA)