Police scandal shows dire need for reform, public tells Dusit Poll

[Lite Beer]

Police scandal shows dire need for reform, public tells Dusit Poll
Piyanut Tamkasetchai
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Most people surveyed by Dusit Poll believe that the gigantic scale of alleged corruption in the "Pongpat" case showed that the Royal Thai Police was in dire need of reform.

More than 80 per cent said the country's former Central Investigation Bureau commander Pol LtGeneral Pongpat Chayapan must be punished if found guilty of extorting kickback payments.

Another 95 per cent said it was time to reform the police service because officers were meant to enforce the law not break it. People should be able to depend on police not to take advantage of them or harass them.

They said getting rid of bad cops would be a moral support for good cops. Reforming the service would restore public faith and trust in police.

Eighty per cent said they felt reports about the scandal raised more questions than they answered while 59 per cent said the scandal had attracted huge public interest because it concerned highranking police.

Fifty per cent said the assets confiscated from Pongpat and his group, such as priceless artifacts, must be returned to the state.

Another 78 per cent said the scandal showed bureaucratic corruption to be extensive and deeprooted while 67 per cent said bad officials were in every sector and the public must join hands to expose bad cops.

Sixty-two per cent said the scandal showed humanity's greed for power and money.

Meanwhile, a factfinding committee's probe into three Department of Special Investigation officials alleged to have received bribes in relation to the contraband petrol trade will commence in coming days.

The illegal trade could have helped insurgents in the deep South.

DSI director-general Suwana Suwannajutha yesterday urged the committee to quickly complete the probe and ensure justice for the accused, noting that the alleged bribetakers were only identified by nicknames.

The DSI is part of the Justice Ministry. But the DSI chief declined to reveal the names of the officials pending the investigation.

She said the investigation would firstly determine if the officials, who were involved in investigations in the South, were on the list before deciding if the accusation had grounds and then possibly launch a disciplinary probe.

The probe would not yet be linked to an ongoing investigation into Pattani-based businessman Sahachai Jiansermsin's escape from police custody in October, she said. Sahachai is the alleged mastermind behind the contraband petrol trade.

Justice Ministry permanent secretary Pol General Chatchawal Suksomjit said the DSI was investigating Sahachai's alleged tax evasion and that while he was DSI chief he didn't get any report about bribetaking in the illegal fuel trade.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-scandal-shows-dire-need-for-reform-public-t-30248867.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-30

[NongKhaiKid]

The BIB in dire need of reform must be a strong candidate for ' Understatement Of The Year '.

[Fiddlesticks]

Now they should take a poll to see how many "concerned" citizens are in favor of OBEYING the laws that they want to police to enforce! By my observations, it would be too few to count, sad to say.

[NongKhaiKid]

Now they should take a poll to see how many "concerned" citizens are in favor of OBEYING the laws that they want to police to enforce! By my observations, it would be too few to count, sad to say.

Taking traffic laws as an example the attitude seems to be obedience is for others to practice.

[kurnell]

And who is going to reform them?? Not the current dude with the unexplained money in the bank. Farcical.

[LazarusRising]

This clean out seems to be very targeted and very limited to a very small circle of officers, almost as if it is a very deliberate witch hunt based on very specific ulterior motives. Could it be that this is not about reform at all?

[NeverSure]

UM, Yes, it could be just that.

[KhunMoo]

No reform this time, this had nothing to do, with a general cleanup. It has to do with topics we can't discuss...

Edited November 30, 2014 by KhunMoo

[Tatsujin]

"Fifty per cent said the assets confiscated from Pongpat and his group, such as priceless artifacts, must be returned to the state."

OK, and where do the other 50% think the confiscated assets should go to ...?

[noitom]

Alfred E. Newman said - What me worry? Thais are probably concerned because they weren't in on the take or because the heat is getting turned up on those who haven't been exposed yet. By next year, they will all be ratting each other out to save their own necks.

[samii]

They shoul reform or clean-up Dusit Poll. It has never been telling anything what majority things. This poll is just a joke and has always been

[Commerce]

"must be punished if found guilty of extorting kickback payments."

IF? He created 1.2 Billion as if by magic? And there's 3 safes to still be opened, plus the value of the artefacts to be added.

if.....

[RustBucket]

Sixty-two per cent said the scandal showed humanity's greed for power and money.

Speak for yourselves. Not for the rest of humanity... This scale of greed is not found in that many places outside of Thailand.

[chainarong]

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This clean out seems to be very targeted and very limited to a very small circle of officers, almost as if it is a very deliberate witch hunt based on very specific ulterior motives. Could it be that this is not about reform at all?

There would need to be a lot more under investigation before I would be convinced , you just have to look at who appointed who.

Edited November 30, 2014 by chainarong

[chainarong]

For the Past 30 + years that I have had interests in Thailand the RTP have like a lot of departments been in a world of their own , what the Thailand Government really needs is an independent auditor general's department which audits all departments including military acting without restrictions,then reports back 12 monthly on performance and recommends improvements, if this had been in operation the guy with the 11 houses would certainly have been caught long ago, of course if the government is dinkum they follow up and implement better policy's . 1 Problem, how much do u trust anybody to carry out a investigation with anything that involves corruption .

Edited November 30, 2014 by chainarong

[BSJ]

It's a bit like the old game of 'Snakes and Ladders' but the Snakes have control of most of the Ladders!

[kriswillems]

Is the real motivation of the "cleanup" of this one police officer (Pongpat) and his family really fighting corruption?

It's very well know that the whole police force is corrupt. They could pick up anyone and make a case.

Is there's some reason why they choose this one?

Maybe we need to look for more information on international news websites?\

My impression is that the action was focused and the rest of the corrupt police top will be spared.

Edited November 30, 2014 by kriswillems

[craigt3365]

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[luk AJ]

More than 80 per cent said the country's former Central Investigation Bureau commander Pol LtGeneral Pongpat Chayapan must be punished if found guilty of extorting kickback payments.

This is very striking, 20% thinks he should not get punished?? This is 1 on 5 people polled.

[Fiddlesticks]

Is the real motivation of the "cleanup" of this one police officer (Pongpat) and his family really fighting corruption?

It's very well know that the whole police force is corrupt. They could pick up anyone and make a case.

Is there's some reason why they choose this one?

Things can't be discussed here, but you can fight more information on international news websites.

Just a wild guess, but perhaps the reason they chose this one was because he was corrupt to the tune of more than a billion baht, and he was the head of the CIB. He apparently made his corruption too extreme and too hard to ignore. Why do folks want to make an Oliver Stone conspiracy out of this?

[kriswillems]

Is the real motivation of the "cleanup" of this one police officer (Pongpat) and his family really fighting corruption?

It's very well know that the whole police force is corrupt. They could pick up anyone and make a case.

Is there's some reason why they choose this one?

Things can't be discussed here, but you can fight more information on international news websites.

Just a wild guess, but perhaps the reason they chose this one was because he was corrupt to the tune of more than a billion baht, and he was the head of the CIB. He apparently made his corruption too extreme and too hard to ignore. Why do folks want to make an Oliver Stone conspiracy out of this?

Did you see the bank accounts of the other police officers and some army leaders? I must say they did pretty well with a 70K monthly income.

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

More than 80 per cent said the country's former Central Investigation Bureau commander Pol LtGeneral Pongpat Chayapan must be punished if found guilty of extorting kickback payments.
This is very striking, 20% thinks he should not get punished?? This is 1 on 5 people polled.

Which indicates that whoever wrote this piece has:

- No realization that the data on the other 20% would be quite interesting and revealing and readers want to see it.

Or perhaps the writer thin ks the big numbers are enough information to make a report.

There was talk about media reform - ain't seen it yet.

[Fiddlesticks]

Is the real motivation of the "cleanup" of this one police officer (Pongpat) and his family really fighting corruption?

It's very well know that the whole police force is corrupt. They could pick up anyone and make a case.

Is there's some reason why they choose this one?

Things can't be discussed here, but you can fight more information on international news websites.

Just a wild guess, but perhaps the reason they chose this one was because he was corrupt to the tune of more than a billion baht, and he was the head of the CIB. He apparently made his corruption too extreme and too hard to ignore. Why do folks want to make an Oliver Stone conspiracy out of this?

Did you see the bank accounts of the other police officers and some army leaders? I must say they did pretty well with a 70K monthly income.

Everyone sits and complains when the boys in charge DO NOT go after the big boys. The moment they do, they start screaming conspiracy. What the hell! Just have to believe people love to complain for the sake of complaining.

[Sunderland]

The scandal is merely smoke and mirrors for actions by a group living in a feudal past and reliant on trying to block the truth that the outside world can report freely on.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Sunderland

[MaxLee]

They'll just be put into inactive posts,.... case closed

[binjalin]

Is the real motivation of the "cleanup" of this one police officer (Pongpat) and his family really fighting corruption?

It's very well know that the whole police force is corrupt. They could pick up anyone and make a case.

Is there's some reason why they choose this one?

Things can't be discussed here, but you can fight more information on international news websites.

Just a wild guess, but perhaps the reason they chose this one was because he was corrupt to the tune of more than a billion baht, and he was the head of the CIB. He apparently made his corruption too extreme and too hard to ignore. Why do folks want to make an Oliver Stone conspiracy out of this?

Did you see the bank accounts of the other police officers and some army leaders? I must say they did pretty well with a 70K monthly income.

Everyone sits and complains when the boys in charge DO NOT go after the big boys. The moment they do, they start screaming conspiracy. What the hell! Just have to believe people love to complain for the sake of complaining.

so naive... go get yourself educated to find out what's really happening

[Orac]

More than 80 per cent said the country's former Central Investigation Bureau commander Pol LtGeneral Pongpat Chayapan must be punished if found guilty of extorting kickback payments.

This is very striking, 20% thinks he should not get punished?? This is 1 on 5 people polled.

Maybe they didn't take into account the 'if found guilty' bit.

Until there is some reform of the laws here on what can be reported there will always be people who doubt the information they are being fed.

Maybe they see a senior policeman, along with many members of his family, arrested who previously had a long track record in law enforcement and who was recognised for his efforts at the very highest levels whilst also seeing more and more information leaking out that is not being covered in the thai press making them a tad suspicious.

[WhizBang]

This clean out seems to be very targeted and very limited to a very small circle of officers, almost as if it is a very deliberate witch hunt based on very specific ulterior motives. Could it be that this is not about reform at all?

Bingo.

What we are witnessing is a PURGE, and has absolutely nothing to do with reform.

[Fiddlesticks]

so naive... go get yourself educated to find out what's really happening

So the billion plus in illegally gotten assets was just a setup! Oh, now I get it. This guy wasn't corrupt, they are just trying to take him down because of political reasons.

Who the heck cares WHY he was taken down. The guy is one of the most corrupt officials in the country. If this is the impetus for change in the police department as a whole, I'm all for it. I read the Time article and I say, WHO CARES. Let's prosecute very and all corrupt officials. Who knows, it may become a more popular pastime in Thailand than taking bribes!

[Orac]

This clean out seems to be very targeted and very limited to a very small circle of officers, almost as if it is a very deliberate witch hunt based on very specific ulterior motives. Could it be that this is not about reform at all?

Bingo.

What we are witnessing is a PURGE, and has absolutely nothing to do with reform.

I believe they are also charging him with Koh Tao murders and the sacking of Ayutthaya in 1766 as well. There will be a huge party as soon as the family are all convicted to declare Thailand free of all crime.