Police await monk’s extradition, train sights on five who helped him flee

[webfact]

Police await monk’s extradition, train sights on five who helped him flee

By THE NATION

 

 

POLICE are seeking five people suspected of helping a senior monk flee the country.

 

Two immigration police officers suspected of facilitating the escape also are being investigated, a police source said yesterday.

 

Investigators in the border province of Nakhon Phanom have requested a court to issue arrest warrants for the five suspects – three of them Thais and two Laos nationals, according to the source. The suspects have reportedly crossed the border into Laos.

 

Also, the Immigration Bureau has set up a committee to investigate two of its officers – an inspector and a junior officer – for suspected involvement in the monk’s escape plot, the source said.

 

They are thought to have helped Phra Phrommedhi, former assistant abbot of Samphanthawongsaram Temple, cross the border illegally from Nakhon Phanom into Laos, before his flight to Germany. The monk is wanted by Thai police for allegedly laundering millions of embezzled state funds.

 

The fugitive monk is now known by his lay name Phra Chamnong Iam-intra, following a recent royal command removing his monastic rank and those of six other high-ranking monks implicated in the embezzlement scandal running into more than Bt350 million.

 

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday afternoon, after flying back from his mission to collect the monk in Frankfurt.

 

He left shortly after his arrival, avoiding the large media presence at the airport.

 

Chakthip and his small team of police officers had gone to Germany in the hope of securing custody of the fugitive monk, who was detained by German authorities after his arrival in Frankfurt. However, German authorities declined to hand the monk over to the Thai police team, amid media reports that he had sought asylum in Germany.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the police force, said yesterday that he was informed Chakthip would remain in Germany until the monk was handed over to him. 

 

“He is waiting to escort Phra Phrommedhi back to Thailand,” General Prawit said yesterday.

 

On Tuesday, Prawit said he expected German authorities to make a decision within three days on whether to hand over the monk. He also dismissed media reports that the monk had applied for asylum.

 

Meanwhile, other senior monks arrested in connection with the scandal have started to adapt to their new surroundings at the Bangkok Remand Prison, Corrections Department director-general Naras Savestanan said yesterday.

 

The monks had maintained much of their monastic routine while in detention, including foregoing food after midday and praying daily, which was allowed by the prison, the official said. Physical check-ups found the monks had no illnesses, he added.

 

Phra Buddha Isara, another senior monk arrested separately on charges of criminal organisation and unauthorised use of a royal name, has received treatment for back pain while in detention at the prison, Naras said yesterday.

 

The monk will today undergo an endoscopy at the prison hospital to examine bleeding in his digestive tract, according to the official.

 

Buddha Isara is now known by his layman’s name, Suwit Thongprasert, after he was disrobed following his recent dramatic arrest at his temple in Nakhon Pathom. Many of his followers resumed visiting him yesterday after the former monk requested no visits for a week.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347158

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-07

[Get Real]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

“He is waiting to escort Phra Phrommedhi back to Thailand,” General Prawit said yesterday.

So many wrongs at the same time:

• He still title him by his monastic rank, which has been rewoked by the king. He would actually show more respect to the monarchy.
• But, he is appearently stamped in again, at Suvarnaphumi Airport
• For an escort from another country to be possible, there must be an agreement done between two parts.

[cornishcarlos]

The prisons are already overcrowded...

If they start arresting every dodgy monk, then there will be no room for any overseas fugitives !!!

 

Priorities guys ?

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

On Tuesday, Prawit said he expected German authorities to make a decision within three days on whether to hand over the monk. He also dismissed media reports that the monk had applied for asylum.

fatty, watch general doesnt know this and doesnt know that and dismisses the fact that he Should know; incompetent and the wrong man for the job

[stanleycoin]

Oh, sounds like the blame game now.

How unusual l. 

[colinneil]

He left shortly after arrival by a side door avoiding the press, because the silly bugger has lost face BIG time.?

[Briggsy]

Sounds like the Minister, Prawit, is bollocking the Chief of Police, Chakthip, because he himself, Prawit, is getting a bollocking from upstairs.

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Chakthip and his small team of police officers

 

 

13 pax = agreed it is much less than what is normally required to beat up a fallen tourist, but nonetheless a full footie squad plus 2 subs.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2018 by Darcula

[Toknarok]

     I like the description in the OP of a 'SMALL' team going overseas on this jaunt. Thirteen personnel to bring back one man. Jee supposing they sent a "LARGE' team, they would have to charter a jumbo jet.

[Dexlowe]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The fugitive monk is now known by his lay name Phra Chamnong Iam-intra,

Why the use of the title Phra?

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

On Tuesday, Prawit said he expected German authorities to make a decision within three days on whether to hand over the monk.

Thai authorities requested a decision in 3 days because they did not want to wait the 2 months or so that the Germans take normally with these matters. No word from the Germans yet about this request. So "expected" is probably not the right word to use - "hoping" is more like it. "Let the buggars wait" is better. ?

[connda]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Investigators in the border province of Nakhon Phanom have requested a court to issue arrest warrants for the five suspects – three of them Thais and two Laos nationals, according to the source. The suspects have reportedly crossed the border into Laos.

They should be high-tailing it to Germany to piggy-back on the asylum request for the same reasons as the monk.

[JAG]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday afternoon, after flying back from his mission to collect the monk in Frankfurt.

 

He left shortly after his arrival, avoiding the large media presence at the airport.

...

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the police force, said yesterday that he was informed Chakthip would remain in Germany until the monk was handed over to him. 

 

“He is waiting to escort Phra Phrommedhi back to Thailand,” General Prawit said yesterday.

 

He is in charge of overseeing the Police activities, and he doesn't even know where the National Chief of Police is!

 

[klauskunkel]

14 minutes ago, JAG said:

He is in charge of overseeing the Police activities, and he doesn't even know where the National Chief of Police is!

 

He is in charge of turning a blind eye to police activities.

[TKDfella]

News from BKKP headline this morning is  'National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda returned to Bangkok from Frankfurt on Wednesday'. Also stated was that the other officers would return later. So the DPM is wrong...again! 

 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The suspects have reportedly crossed the border into Laos. 

While Thailand does have an extradition treaty with Laos, it's been used on a quid pro quo basis - exchange of prisoners/suspects. It's not been done (much) as a one-sided extradition. Also traditionally, it has been citizens of the other country that are sent back.

One extradition of Laotians was for those who protested the Laotian Communist Party while in Thailand. Recently the Election Commission denied the Communist Party registration in the next Thai election, saying that its ideology was not compatible with Thailand's democratic monarchy. That might weigh in on any Laos decision to extradite anyone back to Thailand.

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Srikcir
caveat

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

He is in charge of overseeing the Police activities, and he doesn't even know where the National Chief of Police is!

 

 

Yes but he can tell you the time very precisely and predict when NACC cases are closed even before the NACC know!

 

 

[Scotssing]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“He is waiting to escort Phra Phrommedhi back to Thailand"

This is what is known as an inactive post?

[sawadeeken]

Can you imagine all the big smiles on the cops faces and all the photo's they will make........... Those 13 are thinking that they are the greatest in the worls on an assignment like this one and to a foreign country........... And Most Likely 'First-Class' flights with photos and smiles.................

[AGareth2]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday afternoon, after flying back from his mission to collect the monk in Frankfurt.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the police force, said yesterday that he was informed Chakthip would remain in Germany until the monk was handed over to him. 

Oh dear!

The right hand does not know what the left ....

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Chakthip and his small team of police officers had gone to Germany in the hope of securing custody of the fugitive monk,

13 people may be a small team if attacking a heavily defended fortress, to arrest a single crooked monk on the other hand, seems excessive. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Bluespunk

[sammieuk1]

Monking hell what a monk up 350 mil on the loose a general that will now need a sun dial to reel it in 13 cops on a fruitless jolly what a debacle. 

[Aupee]

5 hours ago, YetAnother said:

fatty, watch general doesnt know this and doesnt know that and dismisses the fact that he Should know; incompetent and the wrong man for the job

Nice.a lo of trouble over the government money. Didn't see al these RTP chase off to the UK to bring back the Red Bull heir for the murder of An RTP

[colinneil]

5 minutes ago, Aupee said:

Nice.a lo of trouble over the government money. Didn't see al these RTP chase off to the UK to bring back the Red Bull heir for the murder of An RTP

Yes but there is a big difference between the 2 cases.

Red bull heirs family paid off the police, the greedy monk scarpered with his cut off the money, so the RTP bosses are p++sed because they got nothing.

[trainman34014]

7 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

The prisons are already overcrowded...

If they start arresting every dodgy monk, then there will be no room for any overseas fugitives !!!

 

Priorities guys ?

Better idea would be to make a lot of the Temples into Prisons as many of the Monks are Crooks anyway, so just build walls and electric fences around them and job done !

[lvr181]

5 hours ago, Toknarok said:

     I like the description in the OP of a 'SMALL' team going overseas on this jaunt. Thirteen personnel to bring back one man. Jee supposing they sent a "LARGE' team, they would have to charter a jumbo jet.

Many expecting/deserving of a "junket" trip?   I am surprised the DPM Prawit is not among them.

[Stargeezr]

Arrest the 5 people and give them the sentence this ex monk would have got

if he had not done the runner.