Picture: Thai Rath

 

The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct cases, Region 1, has sentenced a policeman from the Pak Kret, Nonthaburi police station north west of the Thai capital Bangkok to more than 200 years for stealing and selling guns from the station's armory.

 

The case came to light last October in a report on ASEAN NOW featuring the arrest of Pol Sen Sgt Maj Chaowalit Pumkajorn.

 

He admitted to stealing a few at a time over five years.

 

Astonishingly no one noticed for five years as 159 guns went missing.

 

Some were quickly recovered.

 

Giving details of the case deputy spokesman for the Thai prosecutor's office Kosonwat Inthujanyong said that Chaowalit admitted a string of offences of the theft and sale of state property, reported Thai Rath.

 

The bent cop had falsified documents to get away with his crimes.

 

He was given many years on each charge with the total coming to 256 years and 168 months. (Thai prison sentences are often given in such terms, notes ASEAN NOW).

 

The upshot was that the officer was given a 50 year sentence or life for his crimes.

 

He was also order to either return the guns or around 1.3 million baht.

 

This case is the latest headache for RTP chief Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat whose seven month tenure has so far been riddled with corruption, theft and extortion cases against men under his command, especially immigration.

 

He may also be asking how so many weapons - mostly handguns -could end up on the streets over so long a period of time without anybody noticing.

 

In the story back in October a senior police major general said there was nothing excessive about the number of guns kept in the Pak Kret station.

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

256 years and 168 months

I think he'll handle the 256 years alright but he may struggle with 168 months! ????

I think the one that should be punished as are those who let it happened and not noticing that such large number of weapons are missing for so long and they have colluded with the accused somehow to cover the thefts.

So with reincarnation he's in for four lives? 

Out in two then? ????

What's the betting on he will do 255 years on license in this justice circus ???? 

Looks like they got him over a barrel.......????

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In the story back in October a senior police major general said there was nothing excessive about the number of guns kept in the Pak Kret station.

That's because it wasn't!...........................................They'd all been sold!

5 hours ago, SooKee said:

Out in two then? ????

Wait until he is granted bail... then disappears, like the 2 cops, from up North,  a few years back, found guilty of murder, sentenced to death, let ouit on bail, never see again.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He admitted to stealing a few at a time over five years.

 

Astonishingly no one noticed for five years as 159 guns went missing.

So no-one noticed them going missing?

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He was also order to either return the guns or around 1.3 million baht.

159 for1.3 million ? 8,000 baht a gun ? Seems a good bargain from lazada/shopee 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Some were quickly recovered.

And he was stealing and sellng for 5Years 

Maybe  was only the few he nicked last wee that were " quickly recovered "

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This case is the latest headache for RTP chief Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat whose seven month tenure has so far been riddled with corruption, theft and extortion cases against men under his command, especially immigration.

Not to worry, Immigration have redeemed themselves with the arrest of two elderly foreign overstayers in Bangkok only yesterday. 

No mention of whom he was paying up the tree. 

159 guns, sheesh!

Maybe a lot of them were old revolvers kept there when the po-po transitioned to semiautomatics?  And nobody ever bothered to check on them because they were too lazy?

 

 

This news is incomplete The court sentenced him to 256 years in prison for multiple offenses. But the actual imprisonment does not exceed 50 years under Thai law.

For any Thai cop to be sent to prison is a major step in the right direction.

 

Sure they don't want to just "reassign" him?

I wonder how much baht was made by him and he may see the light of day  if lucky

15 hours ago, maxx marcus said:

This news is incomplete The court sentenced him to 256 years in prison for multiple offenses. But the actual imprisonment does not exceed 50 years under Thai law.

incredible he is sentenced  all those years without raping, harming or killing anyone! looks like embarrassing your superiors is a life sentence here, which also makes Thai justice look suspect.

 

5 years of theft right under their noses, RTP lost more face when they hardly have any left

Do they have special jails for all these bent coppers in Thailand?