Thailand's National Police Chief To Stay

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National police chief to stay

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Monday that Police General Patcharawat Wongsuwan will not be dismissed from his post as national police commissioner, despite wide-spread speculation late last week this was to occur.

Suthep said he had received four reports stating General Patcharawat had not obstructed the investigation into the shooting of core People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul, though one report said the investigation team had been threatened but did not say by who.

Suthep said speculation in the media that he and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva disagreed over the future of General Patcharawat were also unfounded.

Last week it was widely reported that General Patcharawat was to be transferred to an inactive post, or possibly even dismissed, for interfering or obstructing the investigation into the high-profile attempted assassination.

Fuel was added to the fire last week when deputy police chief, Police General Thani Somboonsap, was seen at Suthep’s office with a brown envelope, resulting in wide-spread speculation it contained evidence of his superior obstructing or interfering in the investigation.

However, according to Suthep, General Thani had visited him to report about arrest warrants for two suspects in the shooting and there was no discussion about General Patcharawat in the meeting.

General Thani, head of the police team investigating the shooting, is on record as saying the investigation had encountered difficulties as information had been leaked by unnamed police officers.

The team investigating the attempted killing of Sondhi has already issued two arrest warrants for suspects in the case, but as of yet neither are reported to have ben apprehended.

On April 17 gunmen with semi-automatic weapons opened fire at the car Sondhi was travelling in on his way to the ASTV station to host his morning television talk show.

Sondhi suffered a head injury during the shooting but survived, while his driver ended up in hospital in critical condition and required emergency, life-saving surgery.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-28