Thai police corruption scandal: Warrants for 2 more Pongpat associates

[webfact]

POLICE CORRUPTION SCANDAL
Warrants for 2 more Pongpat associates
The Nation



Pongpat associates More cases of intimidation come to light; wanted businessman nopporn has fled to Cambodia, police reveal

BANGKOK: -- ARREST warrants have been issued for two more suspects allegedly involved in a series of intimidation cases associated with crime-buster Lt-General Pongpat Chayaphan, Phra Khanong police said yesterday.

Meanwhile, a billionaire businessman accused of hiring people through Pongpat to intimidate a debtor has reportedly fled to Cambodia and is likely to flee to a third country, according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Lt-General Sriwara Rangsipram-manakul, who addressed a press conference yesterday.

Nopporn Suppipat, president of Wind Energy Holding (WEH), entered Cambodia on foot on Monday at around 5am, leaving Chanthaburi's Pong Nam Ron district, Sriwara said. Three teams of police investigators have been tasked with tracking and bringing him back to Thailand.

A large-scale mobilisation of local police and immigration police in Sa Kaew and Army paramilitary rangers had been deployed at and around the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint prior to information about Nopporn already fleeing to Cambodia.

Nopporn, whose WEH is the largest in the wind-energy business in Southeast Asia, has been accused of armed intimidation, restraining freedom and criminal conspiracy involving five offenders, for allegedly hiring Pongpat's men to force an associate to reduce a Bt120-million debt he owed to Bt20 million.

The two new suspects have been identified as Preecha Daratrai and Phaichet Maytheesariyaphong. In the police arraignment document, Preecha has been accused of abducting a man named Witthaya Panyathaweekul to negotiate a debt he owed to Preecha, through coordination launched by Phaichet.

Both men have been accused of lese majeste because they claimed to have the monarchy's backing for their abduction while negotiating with Witthaya, the arraignment document said.

Preecha, who had promised to turn himself in to Phra Khanong police on Tuesday evening, failed to show up.

The arraignment document for the two men was submitted to the Phra Khanong court yesterday evening and was approved.

Sriwara said Preecha and Phaichet would be charged with intimidation and other crimes if they were found to have engaged in debt-collection through intimidation in other cases reported to the police in Pathum Thani.

Sriwara said a new allegation had been made against one of the suspects, former Army Major Nattapon - whose current surname is Suwadee - that he and some unidentified men had intimidated an ice vendor over his contracts with Talad Thai vegetable wholesale market in Pathum Thani. Nattapon and his men allegedly forced the ice vendor to give up his Bt24-million annual deal so that Nattapon and his men could take over the concession.

The victim, Sriwara said, had suspended his business since last year out of fear after the intimidation by Nattapon, who allegedly cited backing from the monarchy.

The businessman was set to meet Phra Khanong police at 6pm yesterday to give more details, implicating Nattapon. So far 22 suspects have been wanted in connection with Pongpat's alleged intimidation and corruption, with most of them already in detention.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Warrants-for-2-more-Pongpat-associates-30249098.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-04

[davehowden]

I think Mr Pongpat should watch his back and not walk near any high walls as I fear his card maybe marked.

[NongKhaiKid]

I wish the media would top referring to Pongpat as a ' crime buster ' as nothing could be more inappropriate. He seems to have committed more crime than he ever busted.

[NongKhaiKid]

BBC World TV is carrying an interesting story on some aspects of Nopporn's alleged involvement which is worth watching.

i won't bother even hinting at some of the things reported as the post would be removed.

[ChrisY1]

This case seems to be aimed at some very high placed people.....very high..

[davehowden]

That should get BBC TV blocked then!!

[NongKhaiKid]

That should get BBC TV blocked then!!

Or Jonathan Head will have to do a runner again to avoid an LM charge.

[EyesWideOpen]

This could go on for years..... :-) As I said in an earlier post, Nopporn is in Cambodia

along with all the other fugitives. Maybe the army should send a swat team down

to the Thai town in Phnom Penh and round all these fugitives up. And while they are

there, pick up that couple that tortured the little Burmese girl Air.

[bangkokfrog]

24 million baht per year for selling ice in a wholesale vegetable market !!! What kind of "ice" was it?

[doremifasol]

24 million baht per year for selling ice in a wholesale vegetable market !!! What kind of "ice" was it?

Good question........

[JOC]

And the purge goes on!!

While everybody is waiting, waiting, waiting...............................

[wabothai]

I am sure there are a lot of very nervous people with sleepness nights running around.

[gemini81]

This could go on for years..... :-) As I said in an earlier post, Nopporn is in Cambodia

along with all the other fugitives. Maybe the army should send a swat team down

to the Thai town in Phnom Penh and round all these fugitives up. And while they are

there, pick up that couple that tortured the little Burmese girl Air.

Just check the casinos there!

Speaking of which, most of them belong to Thailand's biggest crooks.

[Orac]

This could go on for years..... :-) As I said in an earlier post, Nopporn is in Cambodia

along with all the other fugitives. Maybe the army should send a swat team down

to the Thai town in Phnom Penh and round all these fugitives up. And while they are

there, pick up that couple that tortured the little Burmese girl Air.

Invade Cambodia again? It didn't exactly work out well last time - they have not long had Veera back!

[Lupatria]

24 million baht per year for selling ice in a wholesale vegetable market !!! What kind of "ice" was it?

The tip of the iceberg?

[asdecas]

Bring back Police Captain Charm and his Sons, I say.

edit: the autocorrect spelt his name Charm. I thought I'd leave it like that.

Edited December 4, 2014 by asdecas

[off road pat]

24 million baht per year for selling ice in a wholesale vegetable market !!! What kind of "ice" was it?

Good question........

Blue Ice ...????....(Braking Bad...!!!)

[katana]

Thailand Sentences Generals to Six Years for Insulting King, Running Casino
30.01.2015

Two police generals, including the former head of the Thai Police central investigative bureau were sentenced to six years each on corruption charges for running an illegal underground casino, and also wearing royal pins at the time.

MOSCOW, January 30 (Sputnik) — Thailand sentenced two police generals to six years of imprisonment each on Friday, according to Bangkok daily Thai Rath.

According to the publication, the former head of the Thai Police central investigative bureau, Lt. Gen. Phongphat Chayaphan, his former deputy, Maj. Gen. Kowit Wongrungroj and four of their subordinates were sentenced for "violating majesty" and organizing and maintaining an underground casino. All six were originally sentenced to 12 years behind bars, but the two generals had their sentences reduced due to an admission of guilt.

Continued: http://sputniknews.com/asia/20150130/1017566793.html

[MaxLee]

Warrants for 2 more Pongpat associates

Another case closed, because the criminal fled the country

Edited February 1, 2015 by MaxLee