Updates…

…According to the CCTV footage, at 6:00 pm the traffic police stopped the Jeep of Mr Sombath in order to check for driving license and car documents as normal procedures. Being stopped, Mr Sombath walked out from his car to the police to present documents. After the police had checked the documents they returned them to Mr Sombath and continued their duty of checking other cars. Then, a man came on a motorbike parked it near Sombath’s car and rushed to the police outpost direction

…About 10 minutes later, a pickup truck came with hazard lights flashing. The pickup truck stopped near the police outpost

…Following the preliminary assessment of the incidence from the CCTV footage, the authorities concerned viewed that, it may be possible Mr. Sombath has been kidnapped(Emphasis added)

Spokesman of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in KPL News, 19 December 2012

…At 6 pm the traffic police stopped Mr Sombath’s jeep in order to check his driving licence and car documents as normal procedures.

Being stopped, Mr Sombath walked out from his car to present his documents to the police

…Then, a man came on a motorbike, parked it on the side road near Mr Sombath’s jeep and moved quickly in the police post direction...

…About 10 minutes later, a pickup truck came with hazard lights flashing and stopped near the police post. (Emphasis added)

Yong Chanthalangsy, Permanent Representative of the Lao PDR to the UN in Geneva, in Vientiane Times, 04 January 2013

…According to the footage, at 18:03 hours the traffic police conducted a regular random check for car documents, and among those checked cars there was a check on a Jeep resembled to the car reported in the incident. It was found that the driver walked out of the car and went to the area around the back of the Jeep.

After that a man on a motorbike came and parked it on the footpath near the Jeep and then walked into the direction where the owner of the Jeep walked to….

…About 8 minutes later, a pick up truck came and stopped at the roadside near where the Jeep had parked

…From the CCTV footage, it can not be verified that the person who drove the Jeep and the person who later drove the Jeep away was Mr Sombath Somphone(Emphasis added)

Phengsavanh Thipphavongxay, Deputy Director General, General Police Department, in Vientiane Times, 04 February 2013