Police Chief Given Full Control Of Police Mission

Police chief given full control of police mission

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) on Friday gave the full authority on police matters to National Police Bureau chief Kowit Wattana, one of the five CDRM leaders who staged a coup overthrowing the government of former prime minister

Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday.

The Council order issued Friday stated that Pol. Gen. Kowit was assigned to the prime minister's duty on police matters, while the National Police Commission (NPC) was dissolved--to be replaced by the newly appointed NPC with the national police chief as a chairman.

Under the former administration, the NPC was chaired by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the law stipulated that the NPC chairmanship was by the prime minister.

Tasked with holding the spectrum of the premiership regarding police matters, Gen. Kowit has full control of the police mission, and the new NPC which he chairs himself is assigned to complete amending the 2004 National Police Bill within a year, according to the CDRM order.

-- TNA 2006-09-22