Officer suspended after being charged with raping Myanmar drug suspect in police station

By THE NATION

 

 

A police senior sergeant-major in Surat Thani province has been suspended from duties for allegedly raping a Myanmar drug suspect at a local police station.

 

The officer was an investigation squad leader at Bo Phut Police Station in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui district.

 

Surat Thani police chief Pol Maj-General Sathit Pholpinit issued an urgent order on January 13 suspending the officer, and appointed a disciplinary committee to investigate the incident within seven days.

 

The alleged incident reportedly took place at around 1.50am-2.30am on January 13, when the suspect took a 21-year-old female Myanmar national, who had been detained at Bo Phut Police Station on a drug charge, out of her holding cell to another room. After allegedly being raped, she was taken back to the cell.

 

After the incident, the victim notified the Myanmar Embassy, which filed a complaint with Bo Phut police chief Pol Colonel Yutthana Sirisombat. Yutthana reportedly said that he had interrogated the senior sergeant-major, who partly admitted and partly denied committing the alleged crime.

 

The officer was then charged with raping a woman and is now under detention at Koh Samui Court, while the victim has been brought to Koh Samui Hospital for physical examination.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30401283

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2021-01-15

 

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44 minutes ago, webfact said:

the senior sergeant-major, who partly admitted and partly denied committing the alleged crime.

What a load of nonsense...He either raped the poor woman, or he didnt.

If he did, he needs sacked and prosecuted, and jailed for a long time.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

a disciplinary committee to investigate the incident

Incident? Since when is rape an incident?

Another criminal in uniform!

Don't understand how anybody can trust the police here.

 

He will be transferred to an Over Active Post !

The  "yes  AND  no" by the Policeman makes me wonder if there was  some "negotiation" that went on over the arrest/charges but after the  "incident"  it was reneged on by the  officer who just  tossed  her back in the  cell ?

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

What a load of nonsense...He either raped the poor woman, or he didnt.

If he did, he needs sacked and prosecuted, and jailed for a long time.

The officer has been charged and now held pending prosecution and verdict.  If found guilty he can be sacked and jailed for a long time; the prosecution must go first.

1 hour ago, spiekerjozef said:

Incident? Since when is rape an incident?

Everything is an incident, some are crimes.  The investigation will be to examine the facts as known and the actions taken to see where internal procedures need to be addressed; it has nothing to do with a court prosecution.

37 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Don't understand how anybody can trust the police here.

 

Got news for you sunshine - they don't !

1 hour ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Don't understand how anybody can trust the police here.

 

Nobody does!

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

The  "yes  AND  no" by the Policeman makes me wonder if there was  some "negotiation" that went on over the arrest/charges but after the  "incident"  it was reneged on by the  officer who just  tossed  her back in the  cell ?

jesus h christ

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

jesus h christ

Yes, I'm  here.........

Have they checked him for COVID?

5 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Have they checked him for COVID?

... and then it is determined he is moulting gunk at a more advanced stage than her...  but he'd then plead the Egg before the Chicken

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

What a load of nonsense...He either raped the poor woman, or he didnt.

If he did, he needs sacked and prosecuted, and jailed for a long time.

Yeah, it would be interesting to hear what he said.

Maybe he did not finish and figures in his mind it does not really count.

Either way, book em and hope he can enjoy the same in prison.

I lived on Samui for nearly a decade. The police there totally re-define anyones perception of what corruption means, and the extent to which law enforcement can be turned into a franchise. If there is any evidence of rape, this guy should be tried and imprisoned for 20 years. Will it happen? Very unlikely.

 

Always remember one thing. Prayuth has had a mandate from the beginning to protect the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, the police, immigration, customs, the army brass, and all those who are in power. Just think Dark Tao. Just think Red Bull. The list goes on, and on, and on. Only the most naive amongst us believe he or ACT secretary-general Mana Nimitmongkol are sincere about fighting corruption or crime. And the level of corruption simply escalates, the further up the food chain you go. They police and army are not expected to be honest, and they are not expected to engage in law enforcement, traffic or public safety, on any level. It is an irrevocably broken and dysfunctional system. Anything hyperbole to the contrary, is just a smoke screen, intended to deceive the most naive amongst us.

And the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) is one of the most feeble and ineffective of all the tools Prayuth has used to deceive the people into believing that he is fighting corruption. Who was the last high level authority, in the police, immigration, the army, or the active administration they arrested, charged, tried convicted, and sent to prison? Nobody. Zero. Nunca. Nada.

 

Many years ago, my sister in law, was involved with a rather dodgy Brit, while living on Samui. When she finally ditched him, he was livid, and just could not handle it. He ended up coming one night, at 3:30am, and burning down her bungalow, which was made of wood and thatch. It went up like a bomb. Fortunately, neither she, nor her four roommates were there at the time, or they would have either died, or ended up with major 3rd degree burns all over their bodies, which I believe was his intention. In most countries, this would be treated as attempted murder, correct? The police were able to find a video of him racing away from the scene, at around 3:35am, as there was a CCTV camera in front of the police station, only a few hundred meters away from her bungalow. They took him in, and told him he would have to leave Thailand, and could never return. Not sure what exchanged hands, for him to not have been arrested. He was also told he would have to pay my sister in law 120,000 baht for the destruction of her gold, cash, and possessions. Same for her four friends. He did pay. It is likely 600,000 baht exchanged hands. We know that for a fact, as we were friendly with a couple of his friends, who said he paid, and he also left the country. When she went to the police station to collect, she was told that he never paid, and he was already back in the UK. But, that they had advocated for her, and made sure he could never come back to Thailand! When she pushed, and told them that she knew for a fact that he had paid them, she was told that her life would be in danger, if she pushed this, and that she needed to back down, and go away, or her safety could not be guaranteed. How does a young woman react to a policeman saying something like that to her?

The real problem is, you cannot report these guys. Not to the higher ups, not to the provincial authorities, and certainly not to the army. They are all corrupt beyond imagination. And the level of corruption simply escalates, the further up the food chain you go. They are not expected to be honest, and they are not expected to engage in law enforcement, traffic or public safety, on any level. It is an irrevocably broken and dysfunctional system. It is all a franchise. Like a pyramid scheme.
 

Take him to the jail... deserves more surprises

Rape gambling corruption extortion all part of the RTP handbook is it not ????

Hi Police at their best Well I partially raped her away that maybe I partially deny it come on this guy should be put in jail but we’re in Thailand TiT

3 hours ago, animalmagic said:

The officer has been charged and now held pending prosecution and verdict.  If found guilty he can be sacked and jailed for a long time; the prosecution must go first.

He was released on bail as far as I’m aware ???? 

Surely if they question all the other people in the cell with her they will say what happened and if he came and took her etc . Although most will be to scared to say or may have been offered freedom to say nothing .

57 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

He was released on bail as far as I’m aware

He was brought to Suratthani this morning in police helicopter.

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

What a load of nonsense...He either raped the poor woman, or he didnt.

If he did, he needs sacked and prosecuted, and jailed for a long time.

That was my first thought but it says that he has been charged with rape so they obviously didn't buy his story.  I hope that because this is out there in the public domain, he won't be allowed to buy his way out of trouble. 

5 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Don't understand how anybody can trust the police here.

 

 

Don't be silly. They don't. Why would they?

I have had ordinary Thais say to me the police are corrupt and can't be trusted. If their own citizens are saying it, well......

1 hour ago, ronaldo0 said:

He was released on bail as far as I’m aware ???? 

I have no experience of case management in Thailand (fortunately), but in reasonable legal jurisdictions bail is a default option unless there is a justifiable fear of the suspect absconding or committing another crime.  That is something for the investigators to show when objecting to bail, even then a judge may place various restrictions on the bailed person to prevent absconding or further criminal activity.

It doesn't matter how many perceive it but a suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

6 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Don't understand how anybody can trust the police here.

 

To use the generic term 'the police' is a tad misleading.

In my 27 years in dealing with the police in Thailand (the last 20 years on Samui) I have had a reason to interact with the police in a number of provinces, including Bangkok. The cases range from murder to petty theft.

On the whole, the police that I have dealt with have been  honest and straightforward.

Do I trust them? I reserve judgement on the individual and until I can see how it all pans out. I treat them with respect and I am careful in what I say and how I react, until I feel that I can trust them.

In most cases, I have never been asked for a bribe or for a 'donation'.

In the petty motoring cases, even if not guilty, I have made 'donations' at the roadside.

When things have been stolen (or lost) by me or my guests, I find that the offer of a reward, up front, does work wonders. Stolen items have been recovered.

So yes, I suppose that I do trust the police here on Samui. This may not suit some people making comments but that is how I have seen things.

Do I trust the police as a National organisation? That is a different question.

This case would never have seen the light of day if the girl had not informed her Embassy.

 

Smart girl, I hope she gets justice.

5 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Yes, I'm  here.........

How nice