Hunter becomes prey: Thailand’s anti-corruption icon faces extortion accusation

[webfact]

 

The tables have been turned on prolific petitioner Srisuwan Janya, who has become the accused rather than the accuser.

 

Once admired by many and feared by his targets, the self-styled anti-corruption campaigner was arrested at his house in Pathum Thani on Friday for allegedly extorting money from a senior bureaucrat.

 

The arrest was made during a sting operation conducted by the Royal Thai Police’s Anti-Corruption Division, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

 

The operation was launched after Natthakit Khongthip, director-general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ Rice Department, filed a police complaint accusing Srisuwan of demanding 1.5 million baht in exchange for staying silent over alleged corruption in two of the agency’s projects.

 

Natthakit claimed two politicians from the ruling coalition’s United Thai Nation Party – Yoswaris Chuklom and Pimnattha Jiraputthiphak – were accomplices in the alleged extortion bid. Yoswaris, a former comedian whose stage name was Jeng Dokjik, is a political appointee named to a government working group by Deputy Premier and Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who is the United Thai Nation leader. Pimnattha is a former election candidate of the party.

 

Insisting on his innocence

 

The trio denied all charges during police interrogation. They were released on a bond of 400,000 baht each on Saturday.

Speaking to the media after his release, Srisuwan insisted he was innocent and claimed the charges against him stemmed from vested interests who felt threatened by his petitions and were seeking retaliation.

 

File photo : Srisuwan Janya

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-29

 

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[quake]

What a surprise.

A bottomless pit of bad guys.

 

[BenStark]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

Once admired by many

 

The only ones that ever admired this corrupt individual were the army stooges.

 

lock em up

[bokningar]

Good , keep going a lot where he came from I guess.

[mfd101]

Thailand seems to have - along with Usofa - a disproportionate number of over-the-top clowns in public life. Not a healthy sign of national cultural or moral values.

[ezzra]

Where ells in the world can you have so much fun with the news such as these huh?...

[hotchilli]

I rather get the impression that it's best to treat everyone as being corrupt, until they prove otherwise..

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I rather get the impression that it's best to treat everyone as being corrupt, until they prove otherwise..

In 20 years I have met a number of honest Thais; that number is four.

[jippytum]

Thai people are faced with corruption in every facet of their lives. Even the people exposing corruption are corrupt themselves. The  chance of finding honest officials in this country are very slim. 

[nobodysfriend]

How to get rid of a disturbing serial petitioner ?

[Artisi]

Simply a mis-understanding, it will be all sorted out shortly once the lunch boxes arrive.