Police chief probed for wrongdoing over Bt30m lottery

[webfact]

Police chief probed for wrongdoing over Bt30m lottery

By SURIYA PATATHAYO, 
SUPOJ KAEWKASEE 
THE NATION 

 

 

NATIONAL POLICE Commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda has set a 30-day timetable for a new investigation into the much-publicised dispute over a Bt30-million lottery prize.

Provincial Police Region 7 headquarters will handle the new probe, taking over the case from local police in Kanchanaburi amid suggestions that the province’s top police chief, Pol Maj-General Sutti Puangpikul, might have taken sides with a teacher who is involved in the dispute.

 

“Headquarters has set up a fact-finding committee to determine whether there are grounds to believe the allegation against Sutti,” deputy police spokesman Pol Colonel Krisana Pattanacharoen said yesterday. 

 

He added that officials at headquarters would also consider whether to transfer the accused officer out of the area pending the investigation. 

 

Sutti has been in trouble after being seen as openly supportive of teacher Preecha Kraikruan’s claim on the winning lottery tickets, despite the fact that retired policeman Charoon Wimul collected the prize with the tickets early last month.

 

Charoon claims that he legitimately bought the winning tickets himself, while Preecha says he bought the lottery tickets from a vendor he was familiar with, and she has backed up his claim. According to Preecha, he lost the tickets after purchasing them and he suspects that Charoon found them. 

 

Believing that the local police had taken sides with Preecha, Charoon submitted a petition for help to Chakthip on Tuesday. 

 

Krisana said Provincial Police Region 7 deputy chief Pol Maj-General Krissana Sapdej has been assigned to head the new inquiry to determine the real winner. 

 

“The national police chief has emphasised that the probe must be based on evidence to ensure justice for all sides,” Krisana said. 

 

A source said police from the Crime Suppression Division, the Central Investigation Bureau and the Technology Crime Suppression Division had already been to Kanchanaburi and covertly gathered evidence to facilitate the investigation. 

 

Krisana added that police would try to conclude the inquiry quickly because the case affected public confidence as lottery buyers might feel there was a risk of losing their winnings even if they buy winning tickets. 

 

This year, there have been several complaints from people who claimed their winning lottery tickets had been stolen. Krisana said forensic means, such as DNA tests, could be used to investigate who really owned winning tickets. 

 

“But to play it safe, lottery buyers should write their names on the back of tickets they have bought and take a picture with them as evidence too,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30333878

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-14

[Ossy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“The national police chief has emphasised that the probe must be based on evidence to ensure justice for all sides,” Krisana said. 

Sounds like the first time the evidence approach has been used by the Police, in favour of the quick-and-easy brownie-fix. Strange for the Police chief to be looking for evidence. Could this be the start of a cleaner Thailand? If they can clean Pattaya beach, they might even coax the 2P's into coming clean, though that would take some doing.

[steven100]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“But to play it safe, lottery buyers should write their names on the back of tickets they have bought and take a picture with them as evidence too,” he said.

but this is inconsequential as it should be ' finders keepers '  

If you find a winning ticket on the ground then you are entitled to the prize .....  IMO.

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the case affected public confidence as lottery buyers might feel there was a risk of losing their winnings even if they buy winning tickets. 

 

Who has confidence in a system where tickets are pre-printed and the numbers decided upon before the draw?  Only hi-sos are allowed to win big except for a token poor peasant every couple of years.

[Ossy]

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

but this is inconsequential as it should be ' finders keepers '  

If you find a winning ticket on the ground then you are entitled to the prize .....  IMO.

What . . . even if the guy who dropped it - a very big guy, let's say - was just across the street and was waiting for the passing traffic, so he could retrieve it? Very much like Thais, Stevie, you engage mouth before brain

Edited December 14, 2017 by Ossy
omission

[steven100]

8 minutes ago, Ossy said:

What . . . even if the guy who dropped it - a very big guy, let's say - was just across the street and was waiting for the passing traffic, so he could retrieve it? Very much like Thais, Stevie, you engage mouth before brain

rubbish ....  so you are saying that you cannot cash in a winning ticket if you found it on the ground   ??

[Ossy]

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

rubbish ....  so you are saying that you cannot cash in a winning ticket if you found it on the ground   ??

No, I don't recall saying that, Stevie . . . maybe that's what you wanted me to say, to offer support to your low morality. Remember . . . brain before mouth - always a good plan

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, Ossy said:

No, I don't recall saying that, Stevie . . . maybe that's what you wanted me to say, to offer support to your low morality. Remember . . . brain before mouth - always a good plan

I'm not talking about a damn guy across the street waiting to pick up his ticket.

I'm simply saying that someone who finds a ticket should still be able to cash it in .............

 

What part of that don't you understand  ....  ???

Edited December 14, 2017 by steven100

[Bluespunk]

Wait.

 

Hang on...

 

I've just remembered I bought and lost some tickets once.

 

I think these might be them.

 

I can't remember the numbers, but I know these were them.

 

Give me my ******* money!

[JohnC]

In UK if you keep something you find it is known as stealing by finding . 

[Dagnabbit]

11 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I'm not talking about a damn guy across the street waiting to pick up his ticket.

I'm simply saying that someone who finds a ticket should still be able to cash it in .............

 

What part of that don't you understand  ....  ???

 

This is theft.

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

 

This is theft.

but is it theft if the ticket is found on the ground  ?

[rkidlad]

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I'm not talking about a damn guy across the street waiting to pick up his ticket.

I'm simply saying that someone who finds a ticket should still be able to cash it in .............

 

What part of that don't you understand  ....  ???

I once found an iPhone on a coffee table at Starbucks. I also found a MacBook and half-drunk cup of coffee. The owner must have dropped them on the table as she was approaching the toilet. 

 

What's that old expression about possession and the law? 

[steven100]

3 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I once found an iPhone on a coffee table at Starbucks. I also found a MacBook and half-drunk cup of coffee. The owner must have dropped them on the table as she was approaching the toilet. 

 

What's that old expression about possession and the law? 

haha ....   but i think finding a ticket ' on the ground '  is a bit different to it being on a table.

[rkidlad]

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

haha ....   but i think finding a ticket ' on the ground '  is a bit different to it being on a table.

Is it? If you buy something legally, it's yours. Where do you draw the line? The line is pretty clear. If you buy something legally, it becomes 'your' property. If someone finds it, then it's up to them to do the right thing by handing it in, or they do the wrong thing by keeping it. At the end of the day, if you find can prove that something is yours, it's yours. Doesn't matter who found it. It has to be given back to its rightful owner. If you don't want the hassle of dealing with this conundrum, simply leave whatever it is on the floor and walk away. 

 

If we didn't have these kind of rules and laws, we would have situations like my Starbucks joke. 

Edited December 14, 2017 by rkidlad

[manchega]

What is this country? where police stealing lottery takes more investigative energy than trying to find murderers.

perhaps they ought go to the local laos or burmyian community and grab a few as ringleaders.

[ujayujay]

2 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

 

This is theft.

No. If you dont want it, do you hand it over to next lost&found Police office

[Ossy]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

but this is inconsequential as it should be ' finders keepers '  

If you find a winning ticket on the ground then you are entitled to the prize .....  IMO.

What part of that don't you understand  ....  ???

If ever I find something - lottery ticket, money, diamond ring or whatever - I take it to the Police or, in their absence, the nearest responsible person, e.g. a nearby shopkeeper, traffic warden or dustbin man. Looks like you're from a different planet than most of us honest posters, Stevie, but there'll be lots of self-help sources on the www . . . try one sometime, instead of trying to spoil adult and responsible T-V debating.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Is it? If you buy something legally, it's yours. Where do you draw the line? The line is pretty clear. If you buy something legally, it becomes 'your' property. If someone finds it, then it's up to them to do the right thing by handing it in, or they do the wrong thing by keeping it. At the end of the day, if you find can prove that something is yours, it's yours. Doesn't matter who found it. It has to be given back to its rightful owner. If you don't want the hassle of dealing with this conundrum, simply leave whatever it is on the floor and walk away. 

 

If we didn't have these kind of rules and laws, we would have situations like my Starbucks joke. 

Your right problem is proving you have bought it legally, just a vendor saying you bought it is no proof. Could be a mixup at the vendors. You should have proof of you holding all the tickets then you got proof. Now he just has a story.

 

Possession is nine tenth of the law.. just look it up. 

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, Ossy said:

If ever I find something - lottery ticket, money, diamond ring or whatever - I take it to the Police or, in their absence, the nearest responsible person, e.g. a nearby shopkeeper, traffic warden or dustbin man. Looks like you're from a different planet than most of us honest posters, Stevie, but there'll be lots of self-help sources on the www . . . try one sometime, instead of trying to spoil adult and responsible T-V debating.

I normally bring things to the nearest responsible person though one has to take into account what you find if you find money or a lottery ticket how big is the chance that it will be returned to the rightful owner and not stays with the responsible person. Its different for phones and other stuff with ID's in it.

[Ossy]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

haha ....   but i think finding a ticket ' on the ground '  is a bit different to it being on a table.

About 30" different . . . you're right, for once, Stevie

[holy cow cm]

It should be share the amount if they cannot cc tv track it for any real hardcore evidence of ill intent. On the other hand, probably not many series of 5 tickets sold or lost either in this vicinity. Lotter sellers remember this kind of sale.

[Ossy]

27 minutes ago, robblok said:

Your right problem is proving you have bought it legally, just a vendor saying you bought it is no proof. Could be a mixup at the vendors. You should have proof of you holding all the tickets then you got proof. Now he just has a story.

 

Possession is nine tenth of the law.. just look it up. 

Yes, I appreciate that ownership is easier to argue by the finder than the loser but that wouldn't make me feel any easier, as I claimed the lottery jackpot prize . . . I might feel better, afterwards, though, especially after a couple of celebratory beers

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, Ossy said:

Yes, I appreciate that ownership is easier to argue by the finder than the loser but that wouldn't make me feel any easier, as I claimed the lottery jackpot prize . . . I might feel better, afterwards, though, especially after a couple of celebratory beers

Thing is i find saying he lost the tickets a weak excuse without showing he has them all first. I also find it strange he only lost the winning one not the others. I still go for a mix-up at the sellers far more probable. I don't like cops much but in this case I think he is in the right. 

[StefanBBK]

I think we need a lawyer's opinion here. Would have thought that finding 5 tickets worth 400 baht at the time would make it finders property, as it is a smallish value. perhaps different if found after winning... In other countries there are disclaimers on the ticket saying something like you need to hold the actual ticket to claim winnings...

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[wavemanwww]

I think this Police chief ex basic copper, wants his cut as payback for Inactive Duty?

[phetpeter]

They both say they bought them, One has colluded with the vendor. and the other is saying they purchased too! !/ the vendor should know have  a list of numbers they sold, second did they both buy from the same vendor then? its a packet of 10 tickets so DNA test may help, as for beliving the vendor, who is selling thousands of tickets, it would have traces on them if the ticket. So now the problem is did they buy from the same vendor, and what benefit would the vendor get if said party gets the tickets and cash. Only answer is if there is doubt 50 per cent each

[wavemanwww]

3 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

They both say they bought them, One has colluded with the vendor. and the other is saying they purchased too! !/ the vendor should know have  a list of numbers they sold, second did they both buy from the same vendor then? its a packet of 10 tickets so DNA test may help, as for beliving the vendor, who is selling thousands of tickets, it would have traces on them if the ticket. So now the problem is did they buy from the same vendor, and what benefit would the vendor get if said party gets the tickets and cash. Only answer is if there is doubt 50 per cent each

I've got a headache after reading this!

[Lingba]

In the US..I believe all purchases of lottery tickets are of course spit out by a computerized machine which usually documents say and time of purchase...and there may even be cameras synced in to verify any disputes

[lemonjelly]

Didn’t the copper offer the teacher 50%?

Should’ve taken it.... 15 million against chance of losing case and nought

 

 

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