On Sunday evening, police sources were saying that three hours of questioning of the German couple and another person had revealed nothing yet of substance in the case. Investigators said they were now more focused on Mr Ralter Mack’s business dealings, financial transfers and property holdings as they try to understand what may have happened to him. After a press conference with the family of the German property tycoon on Monday, in Bangkok, police said afterwards they were confident of further developments as they appeared to be in pursuit of a definite line of enquiry in the case.
A German couple, one of whom was the property broker Ms Peta who was the last person to meet disappeared German businessman Hans Peter Ralter Mack on Tuesday last in Pattaya were called in for questioning by police on Sunday evening. It came as officers impounded Ms Peta’s black Chevrolet SUV for forensic examination. On Monday, following a press conference with the family of Mr Ralter Mack, police in the case now also being overseen by Deputy National Police Chief, General Surachate Hakparn, indicated they were confident of finding the missing German but did not know, at this point, whether he was dead or alive. It has also come to light that ฿2 million has been syphoned from the property mogul’s bank account by someone using a device traced back to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
There have been dramatic developments in the case of the disappearance of 62-year-old German businessman Hans Peter Ralter Mack with police on Sunday evening calling in for questioning two German nationals believed to be a couple, one of whom was the property broker who met with Mr Ralter Mack on July 4th last before he went missing.
It is understood that a 54-year-old woman Ms Patha had earlier been called in by police but she refused to answer to investigators without being accompanied by her lawyer.
German property broker and her partner quizzed by investigators at Nong Prue Police Station on Sunday evening for three hours with their lawyers present
The German national and her 52-year-old associate Mr Olaf were later quizzed by police investigators working on the case in the presence of lawyers for up to three hours.
Police have identified two young women who may have parked the car of missing German in Pattaya
Police finally released the pair and allowed them to return home to a condominium in the Nong Prue area of Pattaya in Bang Lamung where, on Sunday, a black Bangkok-registered Chevrolet Captiva SUV was seized by investigators as part of the widening enquiry into the mysterious disappearance of Mr Ralter Mack on July 4th.
The black Bangkok-registered vehicle was seen in the last visual image of Mr Walter Mac’s Mercedes Benz coupé at the Chaiyapruek intersection on the Sukhumvit Road on July 4th at 12.41 pm which was when he was last sighted alive.
Questioned last week by police, the German woman, Ms Petha told them that she had not noticed Mr Ralter Mack’s car behind her on Tuesday last after their meeting at a local restaurant ended as she did not look at her rearview mirror.
She denied the German businessman was following her to an undisclosed second rendezvous.
Lively press conference on Monday attended by representatives of the German Embassy, Mr Ralter’s Mack’s wife Piraya, son and ex-wife
Mr Ralter Mack’s car was discovered by police at 7.30 am on Sunday morning at a condominium complex, also in Nong Prue, where it had been placed in an adjacent car park reportedly by two young women on July 5th last.
Police found evidence that a chemical substance had been applied to the inside of the car and some parts of the exterior in what they believe was an attempt to destroy evidence and prevent the identification of fingerprints.
On Monday, it was revealed that Deputy National Police Chief General Surachate Hakparn had become involved in the case at the request of Mr Ralter Mack’s family.
The family, accompanied by representatives of the German Embassy including Mr Walter Mack’s wife, 24-year-old Piraya Bunmak, his son Peter and his ex-wife, attended a press conference at the Police Club in Bangkok where reporters were briefed on the latest progress in the case.
Suspicious text messages received by the German businessman’s young wife on Tuesday last that were clearly not composed or sent by him she insisted
Ms Piraya, also known as Pat, told reporters that she suspected that someone had kidnapped her husband because on the day he went missing on July 4th last, she had texted him on several occasions as the couple were due to meet another property customer that afternoon and Mr Ralter Mack did not show up.
She explained to reporters that her husband was a very reliable man who always honoured his word and never defaulted on a commitment.
She told them that she received a message later in the afternoon from her husband in a language and tone that he would certainly not have used, suggesting that he was detained with customers.
She later received a more detailed message suggesting that her husband was involved in completing a contract for the sale of a property and that this involved having dinner with the clients.
However, she told police, on Monday, that her husband was not involved in the sale of any property.
Police investigators suggested a link with the black SUV impounded for examination by police on Sunday as they sought court warrants to dig further
On Monday, police sought warrants and legal permission to detain the black SUV owned by the German couple questioned on Sunday.
Police sources suggest that they were probing a possible link between the SUV vehicle and the disappearance of Mr Ralter Mack although they reported that a search of the German couple’s Nong Prue apartment discovered nothing untoward.
On Monday, they also discovered that the black Chevrolet SUV had been kitted out with four new alloy wheels and tyres just two days after the German businessman’s disappearance having been purchased by the German broker.
The tall German woman made the purchase at a well-known tyre shop at the same Chaiyapruek intersection on the Sukhumvit Road, ironically where the last CCTV image of Mr Ralter Mack’s Mercedes was captured on the day he went missing.
She reportedly purchased the new tyres and alloy wheels for ฿30,000 and also ordered a wheel balancing operation on the vehicle.
Tall German property broker told the shop she was going on a long trip as she ordered new alloy wheels and tyres for the SUV now impounded by the police
The shop declined to accept or pay for the old tyres on the vehicle.
The German businesswoman, Ms Petha, later sent a Thai couple in a pickup to collect them. Staff told reporters that Madam Peta, who was a regular customer at the shop where she often requested a change of oil.
She explained she needed the new wheels and tyres as she was planning on going on a long trip in the near future.
The family of the missing German, also on Monday, called on the police task force to act quickly to freeze the bank account of Mr Ralter Mack as evidence has come to light of transfers from it amounting to not less than ฿2 million baht with ฿500,000 having been transferred on the day he went missing.
Money syphoned off Mr Ralter Mack’s bank account to the tune of ฿2 million, family ask police to freeze the account as device IP traced to Phnom Penh
Investigations into these transfers have revealed that the IP coordinates from where the transfer was initiated, indicate a location in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
This may have come about either by someone in Phnom Penh initiating the transfer or else through the use of some sort of virtual IP service by those who illegally stole money from the German businessman’s account.
In the midst of questioning on Monday, the family replied to some reporters’ queries about a controversy in 2018 when Mr Ralter Mack found himself at the centre of an underage prostitution and human trafficking case.
Ralter Mack was arrested by police in 2018 and linked with human trafficking and under-age prostitution case also in the Nong Prue area of Pattaya
They declined to comment further on the matter, saying that their attention now was on finding the loved family member and seeing him return to them safely.
They also suggested that the case five years ago in February 2018 involved a misunderstanding.
It is also reported that there may have been a third person involved in extended police interrogation at Nong Prue Police Station on Sunday evening.
Police sources have suggested that no further breakthrough information emerged from these discussions and the investigative task force is now focused on the financial transfers and Mr Ralter Mack’s property business.
The investigation into Mr Ralter Mack’s disappearance is being led by Police Major General Teerachai Chamnanmor, the Chief of the Investigation Section of Provincial Police Region 2.
Fears for the life of the German in the case
Since Monday, the case is also being overseen by Police General Surachate Hakparn, the well-known Deputy National Police Chief, also known as Big Joke.
General Surachate, on Monday, promised reporters that there would be further developments on the case involving Mr Ralter Mack.
He said officers believe, at this moment, the case is linked to his financial and property assets and were confident they will find the missing German businessman whether he is dead or alive.
In the meantime, the family of the German man face an agonising wait as police continue to get to the bottom of the murky matter while they hope for a loved husband and father to be returned safely.
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