Police face corruption probe for letting Aussie gunmen free
Phuket Gazette


Australians John Cohen (left) and Adam Shea were handed down a six-and-a-half-month suspended sentence and a 7,500-baht fine. Photo: Chaichana Keowkaew

PHUKET: -- The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will investigate two Patong Police officers who failed to provide enough evidence to charge two Australians with attempted murder after the pair opened fire on a busy street in Patong last year.

The Australians, tattoo parlor owners John Cohen, 32, and Adam Shea, 26, injured two German tourists while trying to gun down alleged Danish mafioso Dennis Mark Knudsen in Soi Sansabai on January 22 (story here).

“The two suspects were charged with attempted murder, but let go after a very short jail time,” explained PACC Secretary-General Col Pravesana Mulpramook.

“The attempted murder charge was dropped by the Public Prosecutor as not enough evidence was provided by the police.”

The Australians were released on April 11 after serving about 40 days in Phuket Prison (story here).

“There has been an obvious mistake in the police investigation process. We are looking into it. We are investigating whether or not the officers were abusing their positions of power,” said Col Pravesana.

“However, I must withhold the names of the officers as they have yet to be formally charged.”

Col Pravesana expects the PACC investigation to conclude within about a month.

“The case investigator and anyone found involved in abusing their power will be prosecuted,” he said.

— Chutharat Plerin

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Police-face-corruption-probe-letting-Aussie-gunmen/29353#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-05-06

Cash payment, ensures your freedom! T.I.T.

Excellent news, again an anti corruption enquiry. Sounds like this is becoming more frequent now.

This is the famous inspirational Phuket police force I keep hearing about??

Hurrah for another cosmetic and predictably ineffectual, supposed enquiry into possible, (yet only alleged ) corruption !

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) obviously didn't get their piece of the pie . . .

i want to see a photo of a group of tattooed farang standing around pointing fingers at that immigration big guy who got done for deviating the course of border runs, the other day.

photoshop anyone? his pic is at the immig website

“The case investigator and anyone found involved in abusing their power will be prosecuted,” he said.

In worst case they a looking at a transfer to another province.

40 days for attempted murder! There you are. I think those guys left the country already.

They're going to get 'punished' by being tranfered to another district?

Blimey, perhaps the case might be re-opened..................

40 days for attempted murder! There you are. I think those guys left the country already.

No, they're here.

40 days for attempted murder! There you are. I think those guys left the country already.

No, they're here.

If those guys read this then they might leave Thailand right now.

They must be pissing themselves laughing 7,500 fine. 7500 THB = 251.59 AUD It's $280 AUD for using your mobile whilst driving in Aust.

They must be pissing themselves laughing 7,500 fine. 7500 THB = 251.59 AUD It's $280 AUD for using your mobile whilst driving in Aust.

I think it cost them waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than that...............

They must be pissing themselves laughing 7,500 fine. 7500 THB = 251.59 AUD It's $280 AUD for using your mobile whilst driving in Aust.

I think it cost them waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than that...............

yea you are probably right

Will they ever run out of "inactive posts" in this country?

I suppose that they are not so happy about these farang conducting their own assassinations when that job could have easily been accomplished by a Thai parson.

Will they ever run out of "inactive posts" in this country?

Prisons are full..................

The Pair probably will be busted for working without the correct visa :-)

were attempting to shoot an alleged Danish member of the local mafia when stray bullets struck two German tourists who were standing out the front of a food mart in Patong.

The attempted murder is against the Dane.

In addition: illegal possession of firearm; reckless use of firearm in public space; malicious wounding by use of firearm (Germans shot in arms).

The Pair probably will be busted for working without the correct visa :-)

Depends on a bank balance I think..................

Hurrah for another cosmetic and predictably ineffectual, supposed enquiry into possible, (yet only alleged ) corruption !

Your joking, eh?

Ofcourse you realize how difficult it is to prove a case like this.

Unless a payment of a bribe was witnessed by a 3rd party, or captured on film or recorded, there is absolutely no case to make against these two police officers.

The investigators would have to convince either the two Aussies to admit to making the payment (and since they are now free they have zero incentive to talk) or they would have to convince atleast one of the officers to admit acceptance of a bribe (again, there is zero incentive to do so).

So, yes, this will be an predictably ineffectual investigation...as it would be in any 1st World Criminal Investigation. As it should be.

Whats more entertaining is the idea of a Danish Mafioso ;-)

And then ofcourse the photo of the two Aussies with faces buried in hands, which gives the impression they are crying ;-)

So these two attempted murders were not even deported?

So these two attempted murders were not even deported?

Why would they be deported? There was no proof so no court case.

So these two attempted murders were not even deported?

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer, nope......................Money talks here.........watch your back, guns NOT in Thai folks hands are out there..............

Thank goodness Thailand has such strict and well enforced visa rules to keep these sort of people out of the country, and only at the small expence of the rest of us having to make repeated runs to the boarder. Oh wait a minute....

So these two attempted murders were not even deported?

Why would they be deported? There was no proof so no court case.

Explain ?

So these two attempted murders were not even deported?

Why would they be deported? There was no proof so no court case.

Explain ?

That is what the OP is about.

Nothing like some huge tatoos, all over and then hiding your face not to be recognized. .