Terms cut for Thai BPP team jailed for abduction, assault, extortion

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Terms cut for BPP team jailed for abduction, assault, extortion
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court in Bangkok yesterday reduced sentences for a former border patrol police (BPP) Captain, Nat Chonnithiwanit, and nine ex-BPP officers for abuse of authority.

They were found guilty of abducting and detaining four narcotic suppression policemen, assaulting and forcing them to confess to drug crimes and demanding Bt2 million in ransom for their release in October 2007.

The court gave the 10 accused a 10-year jail term each, but halved the term for Nat and two others for useful confessions, while the rest received further reduced jail terms of six years eight months.

The court also told them to pay Bt100,000 in compensation (plus a 7.5 per cent annual interest) to each of the four victims.

In another case, the Criminal Court sentenced Weerasak Eiumpongsa, 41, to a nine-year jail term for the 1993 murder of Japanese woman in Tokyo. Weerasak fled with the victim's valuables to Thailand and "laid low" for 19 years before his arrest in Nakhon Si Thammarat - only months before the case's statute of limitations ended.

-- The Nation 2013-10-01

[lee b]

This should be on page 35. Nobody is shocked.

[NongKhaiKid]

During my thirty years in the police it was usual that police officers, and other public officials, to get little sympathy in court and could expect more severe sentences with the stock phrase " you have abused the public trust " almost always used.

I suppose in Thailand where the public doesn't trust the police such an attitude is out of place.

This decision is a disgrace and little wonder there's little or no faith in the judicial system coupled with the belief there's a law for one and ... !

[alfalfa19]

Smiles all around. How nice.

[noitom]

During my thirty years in the police it was usual that police officers, and other public officials, to get little sympathy in court and could expect more severe sentences with the stock phrase " you have abused the public trust " almost always used.

I suppose in Thailand where the public doesn't trust the police such an attitude is out of place.

This decision is a disgrace and little wonder there's little or no faith in the judicial system coupled with the belief there's a law for one and ... !

And the photo reflects he is a happy camper.

[worgeordie]

No wonder corruption,graft,abuse of authority is so prevalent here ,Its just

not taken seriously at all, grab all you can,kill,and kidnap,IF you get caught,

get a slap on the wrist,and apparently just laugh it off!

regards Worgeordie

[Local Drunk]

It would be a life sentence in the US.

[Briggsy]

As long as polce serve their higher-ups with unquestioning loyalty, they remain within a very strong patronage system. Former captains in the Border Police have very heavy-hitting patrons than can swing things for them. That is the system in Thailand, it is a patronage system.

Also be aware the chain of command of the Border Police, although nominally a part of the police, bypasses the normal channels and is often seen as closer to the military and senior statesmen than it is to the rest of the police.

[55Jay]

Tiny tip of an iceberg.

[pacovl46]

They really do look the part!

[Ulic]

During my thirty years in the police it was usual that police officers, and other public officials, to get little sympathy in court and could expect more severe sentences with the stock phrase " you have abused the public trust " almost always used.

I suppose in Thailand where the public doesn't trust the police such an attitude is out of place.

This decision is a disgrace and little wonder there's little or no faith in the judicial system coupled with the belief there's a law for one and ... !

My experience in North America is rarely do police officers face any kind of justice and in the unusual times they do, they get exceptionally lite

to no jail sentences because as former police officers jail is far to dangerous for them.

[klauskunkel]

Policemen assaulting, abducting and extorting other policemen? It's just not fair...

[fstarbkk]

It would be a life sentence in the US.

You are correct. The kidnapping charges alone would have ensured life without parole. The other charges (extortion etc.) would have been icing on the cake. And any leniency would have been rendered impossible by the fact that sworn officers of the law are always held to a higher standard of integrity.

But, like it or not, this not the US. Here, it appears that public officials are not servants of the public, but are effectively given a license to steal and, in some cases, even to kill with relative impunity.

The fact that these guys even got convicted doesn't speak of justice as much as the possibility that they somehow ran afoul of a system had previously tolerated or even encouraged their baser instincts.

Edited October 1, 2013 by fstarbkk

[belg]

so these guys are obviously

big time drug smugglers and corrupted as hell

and as an example, their sentence is halved...

how many people they have in their pockets ?

[hammered]

Interesting that the captain had it halved along with two others but that most of the lower ranks were left with longer sentences.

[abq2020]

During my thirty years in the police it was usual that police officers, and other public officials, to get little sympathy in court and could expect more severe sentences with the stock phrase " you have abused the public trust " almost always used.

I suppose in Thailand where the public doesn't trust the police such an attitude is out of place.

This decision is a disgrace and little wonder there's little or no faith in the judicial system coupled with the belief there's a law for one and ... !

My experience in North America is rarely do police officers face any kind of justice and in the unusual times they do, they get exceptionally lite

to no jail sentences because as former police officers jail is far to dangerous for them.

Then I guess your experience is none, and your knowledge about it is the same.