Santhana’s father accused of hiding him in market corruption case

[webfact]

Santhana’s father accused of hiding him in market corruption case

By The Nation

 

 

POLICE HAVE issued a summons for the 91-year-old father of Pol Lt-Colonel Santhana Prayoonrat for allegedly sheltering his son who was facing an arrest warrant.

 

Chokechai Police Station’s superintendent Pol Colonel Supon Khamchu said Santhana had been summoned to testify on Friday.

He said the summons was issued as Santhana’s father, Senior Police Colonel Somchai Prayoonrat, was suspected of hiding his son.

 

Last Friday, the court approved an arrest warrant for Santhana on extortion charges. 

 

Police raided his condo but did not find him. Following the raid, Santhana announced that he would surrender and asked police to pick him up from his father’s house on Saturday morning. 

 

However, police officers surrounded the father’s house on Friday night and said Santhana was inside.

 

The United Lawyers for Rights and Liberty’s secretary general Winyat Chatmontree said that Somchai did not tell police that his son was not at home and therefore cannot be accused of trying to hide a suspect.

 

“Santhana’s decision to tell police about his whereabouts makes |things quite clear that he intended to surrender,” he said.

Winyat said he hoped police would review the summons.

 

 Santhana, a former deputy superintendent at the Special Branch Police Division, is freed on Bt300,000 bail. 

 

He and 10 other alleged accomplices are accused of extorting money from vendors at the Donmuang Modern Market in Bangkok’s Don Muang district between April 2016 and last month. 

 

 

The extortion allegedly started soon after the operator of Donmuang Modern Market recruited Santhana as an adviser. 

 

Complainants said they were required to pay between Bt1,000 and Bt3,000 a month per shop inside the market to the Santhana-led gang. They also had to pay Bt700 per car and Bt300 per motorcycle parked inside the market. They said they agreed to pay only because they faced threats.

 

Several of Santhana’s alleged accomplices have turned themselves in following Santhana’s surrender on Saturday and the arrest of his aide, Kanes Premkrut, on Sunday.

 

As of press time, only four suspects in the case had failed to contact authorities. Kanes’ bail was also approved yesterday, with Bt300,000 bond. 

 

Since his release on bail, Santhana has given several media interviews. He has claimed he has landed in trouble because he has had conflicts with National Police Commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, General Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Wirachai Songmetta, and Tourism Police Division’s deputy commander Pol Maj-General Surachat Hakpal.

 

Santhana has also publicly said that he has no intention to go on the run and insisted that he can be contacted by authorities at any time. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30345472

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-16

[Somtamnication]

LOL. On knees wai'ing the old man. 

 

Only in Thailand. Hey! I will see the police when I WANT TO SEE the police. 

[greenchair]

Having conflicts with superiors has sometimes led to corruption charges, which has caused some officials to suicide themselves. 

[ezzra]

Oh what goes around comes around, to see this maggot graveling to the ground for mercy and forgiveness, no doubts what he did to the people he shook down for protection money when he was the boss ripping people of off....

[YetAnother]

50 minutes ago, webfact said:

Complainants said they were required to pay between Bt1,000 and Bt3,000 a month per shop inside the market to the Santhana-led gang. They also had to pay Bt700 per car and Bt300 per motorcycle parked inside the market. They said they agreed to pay only because they faced threats.

sounds Very Much in line with the thailand we know; thailand 0.4

[Get Real]

Why summon a 91 year old man. Concentrate on the case at hand instead. Land of insignificance.

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Complainants said they were required to pay between Bt1,000 and Bt3,000 a month to

Pattaya police.  Every bar/company in this World class resort is ransomed every month by those who 'serve and protect' themselves.

[Jimbo in Thailand]

Many lovely people here but <deleted> this is yet another [daily?] example of how absolutely completely corrupt to the core Thailand is in every facet of society.  Oh my Buddha!

 

Edit:

[PatOngo]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Santhana’s father accused of hiding him in market corruption case

There's a twist, I always thought Thai man/boys ran to Mummy when they had a problem!

[Juan B Tong]

Q. What happened to this snarky face?

 

A.  BUSTED!  And your daddy too!

[lanista]

The dirty cop surrendered outside a residency on Thai TV   -  massage boss - Chuwit's show at 7 am today.

Santhana took off his shirt ,thrust his arms to the sky and walked around showing the throng of officials that he wasnt carrying anything.  Did alot of  buddha wai's !

Way over the head,

Just over the head

infront of the head

infront of his nose

infront of everything

Thai cops then saluted him.

 

All the wai's s worked.  He was allowed to return home later on  pissy bail.

He wont run.  He and his family will keep most of the millions he'extorted over the past year or so.

Army and cops will be paid off, make merit at the temple  and  give the judge a new pair of Italian leather shoes and PING golf clubs.  Thats what the Ital -Thai  black panther hunter/eater did recently.

Case closed.

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The extortion allegedly started soon after the operator of Donmuang Modern Market recruited Santhana as an adviser. 

Santhana Pol Lt Colonel- or property change specialist?

[sammieuk1]

Sure there will be a easy financial solution for market man and Co. 

[bluesofa]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

Pattaya police.  Every bar/company in this World class resort is ransomed every month by those who 'serve and protect' themselves.

As a bar owner in a previous life, I can confirm that.

I remember the only time no one paid was about fifteen years ago, when Thaksin was having a clampdown on police corruption. There was a hotline number publicised to report any incidents.

Pattaya police took it so seriously they sent officers round to the bars, telling owners NOT to pay them any money. It was heaven for about three months, until (naturally) the clampdown petered out.