Former Bangkok metropolitan police commissioner Kamronwit freed in Japan

[halloween]

I await his immediate arrest for his confessed possession of an unregistered fire arm in Thailand, but I'm not holding my breath waiting.

[elgordo38]

And no mention of importing or possession either. Must have been an optical illusion.

Will they give him his gun back? Ignore it as it goes in his baggage when he flies home?

Could a bag containing a large amount of bahts slipped through Japanese customs and immigration?

[DoctorG]

Laws are only to keep the peasants in place.

[elgordo38]

Because the Japanese don't file charges doesn't mean it didn't happen.

FYI the American Toyota executive that was in Japanese jail for almost a month, on suspicion of importing prohibited medicines, was also released without charges.

Yes she was released after she resigned her position with Toyota. I had some red flags go up on this one.

[Baerboxer]

And some think Japan is somehow different from other Asian countries.

Disgraceful that a so called first world country can ignore such a blatant act. Unregistered firearm and ammunition in hand luggage, no real proof where it came from, or where it was really going; changing stories, and enormous help offered from the Thai authorities.

Maybe he's some kind of secret agent after all, or it's a thank you for services rendered. Who knows, or will ever know. The Thais will simply cloud everything until it goes away as normal.

But Japan - not as advanced a nation as they pretend it would seem, in the field of morals, ethics, law and justice.

[khunpa]

Such a fair world we live in...

[halloween]

I think this was a good ending to an unfortunate situation

How is a criminal act being ignored for political reasons a "good ending"? You can't even claim he was elected, as if that absolves everything.

[Just1Voice]

Sadly disappointed in Japan on this one.

[Gandtee]

Coincidentally I have just watched a DVD titled Z. Its subject is corruption and intimidation by a despotic regime.

[soalbundy]

I think you are all going over the top on this out of disappointment. I would have liked to see him do time but it didn't happen. I trust the Japanese judiciary and don't think that this mickey mouse cop was important enough for behind the scene deals. One good thing to come out of this is that he has lost face big time.

[fareastguy]

Japan may well live to regret this decision, now people found with "restricted" items on them prior to checking/boarding will just say in their defense, it was an honest mistake & that they had no motive or intent to use the said item !!!

Seems to me it could open up a can-of-worms rather than keeping the lid on !

Another sad day for "justice for all" where Thailand is concerned.

[djlest]

Lets not forget Asia is Asia

[mike324]

No intentions of carrying a gun on board to Bangkok, and he had no intentions of carrying from Japan back. So are we suppose to believe he forgot that he even carried a gun with him at all?

[SOTIRIOS]

.....someone decided we should not know....

[Johnny S]

Just shows that these Samurai-wannabe´s are totally without any ba11s - Wonder what the deal made was ...? Some free soapys in BKK next time Abe visits ... ? One Asian country same same as another

[Oziex1]

Lets be happy he did 21 days.

[GOLDBUGGY]

As I said all along this is not that serious as to commit a crime like this you need to show "Intent". Since he did not intend to commit a crime then they did the only thing they could do. Which was: Hold Him! Question Him! Then let Him Go!

[oneday]

Come on, no one can really be surprised by this.

I'm just glad they made this Hi-So Thai sweat a long time before they released him.

[Lupatria]

A new challenge for the creative artist of the actual flag

[Artisi]

????????

[Graham8888]

Japanese prosecutors dropping charges against Kamronwit

BANGKOK, 13 July 2015 (NNT)- Japanese prosecutors have decided not to indict Police Lieutenant General Kamronwit Thoopkrajang on chages of bringing a gun onto the plane, the Royal Thai Police has disclosed.

According to Royal Thai Police Spokesperson Police Lieutenant General Prawut Thawornsiri, the Japanese embassy in Thailand has informed the Royal Thai Police that Police Lieutenant General Kamronwit will not be prosecuted.

The Spokesperson said the reasons the charges had been dropped at last were likely based on the relationship between the two nations, and the former Metro Police Chiefs testimony that it was not his intention to bring the weapon onto the aircraft.

Upon his return to Thailand, Police Lieutenant General Kamronwit is to be further questioned why he had the gun with him while travelling to Japan. Police Chief Police General Somyos Poompanmuang said carrying a weapon on board is only allowed when permission from the airlines and related units has been obtained.

-- NNT 2015-07-13

How come no one noticed the gun when he went through customs in Thailand ?

Check in - " did you pack this bag yourself sir ? "

Astounding Thailand

[Acharn]

And in other news, Japanese companies in Thailand will now enjoy special tax exemption status for 10 years...................

What? Kamronwit is a special friend of Prayut? Are you sure? I would have thought if he was he would have been released a lot quicker than this.

[Dukeleto]

Absolutely disgusted!

[Acharn]

I think this was a good ending to an unfortunate situation

How is a criminal act being ignored for political reasons a "good ending"? You can't even claim he was elected, as if that absolves everything.

Well, you know, after the Great Financial Crisis of 2007, when the banks unleashed a storm of foreclosures, many supported by forged documents, and public outrage was running high, and lots of people wanted charges to be brought against the bankers who had destroyed the economy and reduced the total wealth of America by $14 Trillion, President Obama commented, "A lot of what they did wasn't illegal."

I'm not an expert in Japanese law. Heck, I know more about Thai law than I do about Japanese law, and I know almost nothing about Thai law. Now the prosecutors in Japan examined the evidence, the accusation, and interrogated the accused person. They decided that they did not have a case which would prevail in court. American prosecutors make the same kind of decision all the time. Am I likely to win this case in court? No? Then drop the charges and go on to the next case -- heaven knows there's never any shortage of prosecutions to handle. We really don't know why the Japanese prosecutors decided not to continue with the proceedings, but they may have decided that under Japanese law there was not a crime committed.

[halloween]

As I said all along this is not that serious as to commit a crime like this you need to show "Intent". Since he did not intend to commit a crime then they did the only thing they could do. Which was: Hold Him! Question Him! Then let Him Go!

If as he claimed, he found the gun in his luggage after he got to Japan, what was his intent if not to take it on the plane?

[AlQaholic]

Like I said before, a nation wide security test in the US where agents tried to smuggle weapons and bombs (duds) pass the security checks in various airports, they managed to smuggle it pass 100% of the time. So that is how good security is in the US, now one can imagine the quality of security in Thailand then....

Seems if one really wants to hide something and take the risks it is quiet easy to get weapons on board airplanes.

[z42]

The only solace that can be taken is that this fool lost face, likely lost his gun too, had the indignity of 2 weeks sweating it out in jail, and best of all got the message that his VIP status doesn't make him immune to scrutiny. Also thinking about the concessions the thai govt made to free him will see him off the overseas junket lists for the foreseeable... Either way he has been taken down a peg despite Japan not manning up like they should have

[cougar52]

As I said all along this is not that serious as to commit a crime like this you need to show "Intent". Since he did not intend to commit a crime then they did the only thing they could do. Which was: Hold Him! Question Him! Then let Him Go!

If as he claimed, he found the gun in his luggage after he got to Japan, what was his intent if not to take it on the plane?

Something doesn't ring true. Ditto on his confession that he did not know he had brought it from Thailand, then he SAID he moved it into his carry on, so he had to know that he moved it. The other thing is are we not to know who gave him the gun, he said first it was his, then stories about his son bringing the registration, then it was changed to it was a gift. So whose gun is it????

Edited July 13, 2015 by cougar52

[djjamie]

This guy is made of teflon.

The ethics committee let him off a few years ago and now this.

It pays to have friends in high places when listening to testimonies from relevant people.

[tigermonkey]

The only solace that can be taken is that this fool lost face, likely lost his gun too, had the indignity of 2 weeks sweating it out in jail, and best of all got the message that his VIP status doesn't make him immune to scrutiny. Also thinking about the concessions the thai govt made to free him will see him off the overseas junket lists for the foreseeable... Either way he has been taken down a peg despite Japan not manning up like they should have

Has everyone noticed that we only have the Thai version of what happened in Japan. We are told that he was released and is now happily on his way back to Thailand. Why then is he being deported ?? "Camronwit has been released from detention and handed over to the immigration police for deporting back to Thailand." He was not free to go, but was deported under detention.

The Japanese understand loss of face even better than Thais. I would not be surprised if the truth was more like his punishment was reduced to time served ( three weeks), loss of face and deportation/ blacklisting. The Japanese would not comment since that would cause even more loss of face. We now have to live with the Thai version of the circumstances