DIPLOMAT SAYS POLICE ADMIT TO 'FRAME-UP'

British Consul Gives Statement To Court

A senior British diplomat claimed to a court in Pattaya yesterday
that police had admitted to a ``frame-up'' of a wealthy British
businessman arrested 18 months ago on a drugs charge.

After British embassy officials discovered that millionaire Kevin
Quill was being stripped of his assets by his business partners while
in jail, meetings were set up between the embassy and police.

The police not only admitted the ``frame up'' but apologised, said
Bangkok-based British consul Deryck Fisher, adding that police in
Bangkok concluded there was ``no substance to the allegations''
against Mr Quill.

In a rare case _ it is the British Foreign Office's policy not to
intervene in the judicial systems of other countries _ Mr Fisher
wrote to the court in Pattaya confirming the police admission.

It came from Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol Somboonsap, assistant national
police chief, Mr Fisher said.

``General Noppadol was in possession of the case documents and video
of Mr Quill's arrest. He said having reviewed the evidence he
believed Kevin Quill had been framed and there was no substance to
the allegations against him.

``He offered an apology on behalf of the police,'' said Mr Fisher.

Shortly before his arrest, Mr Quill, 39, who owned clubs and pubs in
Halifax, Bradford and Leeds, in England, had invested about 21
million baht in a hotel and bar business in Pattaya with two Scotsmen
named in court as Gordon May, 60, and James Lumsden, 54.

On Oct12, 2000, Mr Quill was stopped on the way to Bangkok airport.
He was taking about 200 cartons of cigarettes back to the UK, which
had been supplied to him by Mr May and a Thai immigration policeman,
Mr Quill earlier told the court. Inside one packet police found 100
amphetamine tablets.

The day after he was jailed, Mr Quill claimed, his computer, which
was in the hands of Mr Lumsden and Mr May, was wiped of all records
of his partnership with the two Scotsmen.

A penthouse he lived in was torn down and converted into apartments
and he was also removed from the directorship of his own company by
the Scotsmen.

Mr Fisher's statement was backed by Supreeya Rungnobhakun, a
translator and researcher.

Ms Supreeya said she was party to conversations between Pol Gen
Noppadol and Pol Gen Pongsarn Wacharoen, deputy head of Police Region
2, which covers Pattaya, and was also present at meetings between
police and Mr Fisher.

Pol Gen Pongsarn, she said, had also admitted Mr Quill was framed and
that a Sgt Vinai was involved. Pol Gen Noppadol had ordered Pol Gen
Pongsarn to investigate.

Sgt-Maj Vinai Yuyadmaak was _ according to documents presented to the
court _ a frequent visitor and recipient of hospitality at a separate
business called ``Boyz Boyz Boyz'' owned by Mr Lumsden, from Falkirk,
and Mr May, from Edinburgh.

In the video referred to by Mr Fisher and shown to the court, the
leader of the investigation is shown saying ``I can dress now'', with
the implication, said defence lawyer Nipon Bundithlaksana, that he
had become rich.

The court was also shown a British newspaper cutting saying that a
previous investor with Mr May and Mr Lumsden, Scot Ian MacDonald, had
died in a fire in their hotel in 1990. The fire was restricted to one
room.

The case was adjourned to May 16.

Allegations of a frame-up in the Quill case were first revealed in
the Post's Perspective section last May.