Prayut urged to use Article 44 in Mae Hong Son prostitution probe

[webfact]

Prayut urged to use Article 44 in Mae Hong Son prostitution probe
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Federation of Assistant District Chiefs of Thailand filed a petition at Government House on Thursday for Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to use his absolute power under Article 44 of the interim constitution to deal with the civil servants involved in the Mae Hong Son prostitution scandal.

 

The group, led by federation chairman Boonyarit Nipawanit, claimed that the use of normal law would cause delays and might risk interference by local influential figures because the case involved many state officials. 

 

They said that if the case was tackled seriously it could lead to the end of the unofficial tradition of sex services being offered to senior officials. 

 

Meanwhile, lawyer Kerdpol Kaewkerd, who represented the victims of the prostitution ring, said the government should expedite legal actions in the case as there have been attempts to interfere with the work of investigators. 

 

He said that if the investigation was prolonged the victims might lose interest in fighting the case as they would feel that they did not get justice.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30314218

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-04

[colinneil]

Normal law would cause delays, and might risk interference by local influential figures.

Should have said normal law is sure to get interfered with by local influential figues.

 

Get every last one of the disgusting kiddie fiddlers and castrate the bas...ds.

Edited May 4, 2017 by colinneil

[Chris Lawrence]

Article 44 also has the power to cover the names of the perp's. They can go thru a military court where the evidence, names, grounds, type of convictions recorded and the punishment be never seen the light of day. No one will loose face? As the Governor up there has said 'flowers all round to relieve the pressure all are going thru in being accused in playing with the little kids'.

[webfact]

Prostitution bust ‘requires Article 44
By THE NATION

 

Police escort five suspects linked to the Mae Hong Son |prostitution scandal from Bangkok’s Thung Song Hong Police Station to Ratchadapisek Criminal Court to apply for the first 12-day detention period yesterday morning.

 

District chiefs fear offical meddling in probe

 

BANGKOK: -- THE FEDERATION of Assistant District Chiefs of Thailand filed a petition at Government House yesterday for Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to use his absolute power under Article 44 of the interim constitution to deal with civil servants involved in the Mae Hong Son underage prostitution scandal. 

 

The group, led by federation chairman Boonyarit Nipawanit, claimed that the use of normal laws would cause delays and might risk interference by local influential figures. He urged authorities to punish supervisors who were guilty of dereliction of duty or negligence allowing such crimes to take place, as well as officials directly involved in the racket or patronising underage prostitutes. They said that if the case was tackled seriously it could lead to the end of the unofficial tradition of sex services being offered to senior officials. Lawyer Kerdpol Kaewkerd, who represented victims of the prostitution ring and accompanied Boonyarit yesterday, said the government should expedite legal action in the case as there had been attempts to interfere with the work of police investigators by trying to tamper with evidence and witnesses who were not being provided protection. 

 

Kerdpol said that if the investigation was prolonged the victims might lose interest in fighting the case as they would feel that they would not receive justice.

 

Meanwhile, Phrae deputy governor Wirun Panthewee said he had been at a party to welcome Suebsak Iamwichan last year as he took his position as Mae Hong Son governor, adding the festivities were normal without any suspicious activity. 

 

Suebsak is being questioned by an Interior Ministry disciplinary panel over his alleged involvement in the case although he maintains that he was innocent. 

 

Wirun urged the public to not spread rumours about Mae Hong Son people or treat accused officials including Suebsak unfairly unless they are proven guilty. 

 

Meanwhile, five human-trafficking suspects allegedly involved in the prostitution ring were brought to Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court yesterday to apply for their first 12-day detention period pending police investigation. 

 

Police opposed their release on bail on the grounds that the case carried a heavy punishment and there was a risk of them tampering with evidence and witnesses.

 

Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) chief Pol Maj Gen Kornchai Klayklueng told a yesterday press conference that he believed all involved in human trafficking crime in the ring were already identified – as per the teenage girl’s mother’s testimony that the racket had eight teams under suspect Pol Senior Sgt Major Yutthachai Thongchat. 

 

Kornchai said local police had 36 complaints and arrested three police officers wanted for the charge of gang rape of a minor, while AHTD had one case with eight suspects, all in custody. He affirmed police would check all points including the identity and involvement of a man called Uncle Pan whose Line chat leakage led to the complaint. 

 

He said the lie detection device use on victims or suspects were to show sincerity and required them to sign consents first. 

 

To a witness’s claim a man resembled governor took a girl under 18 to have sex on the night of welcoming party last year, he said it was a heresy, not a direct testimony of the girl in question hence the girl should file the complaint to have police probed it.

 

Scrutiny of Mae Hong Son suspects 

 

 Group 1 

The three suspects in custody for whom a court issued arrest warrants on charges including conspiracy to commit human trafficking to benefit from prostitution. They include Pol Senior Sgt-Major Yutthachai Thongchat of Mae Hong Son’s Nam Piang Din Police Station, who was dismissed from the civil service.

 

Group 2

The five suspects in custody on charges including conspiracy to commit human trafficking to benefit from prostitution. They are one 30-year-old man and four women aged from 22 to 40.

 

Group 3

Three police officer suspects attached to Kong Koi police station in Mae Hong Son’s Sop Moei district facing charges of gang rape of a minor linked to the prostitution ring. They have also been dismissed from the civil service due to the alleged breach of discipline.

 

Group 4 

The five police suspects and one public school teacher accused of buying sex services from the prostitution ring. Previous police applications for arrest warrants were turned down twice on the grounds that they were civil servants with known addresses and were not a flight risk. The court suggested that summonses be issued for them instead.

 

Group 5

Police are trying to locate six men, including two military officers, a public health official and a district highway official, who are accused of buying sexual services from the prostitution ring.

 

Persons of interest

Mae Hong Song governor Suebsak Iamwichan is being questioned by an Interior Ministry panel over his alleged involvement. 

 

The mother of one of the victims this week has also filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division against Mae Hong Song police chief Pol Maj-General Preecha imonchaijit, Muang Mae Hong Son precinct superintendent Somkiat Sawngsuk and other officers who served on a disciplinary panel reviewing Yutthachai’s behaviour. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30314265

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-05

[yellowboat]

Due process is way over due in Thailand.  44 is not the answer.  Judicial reform is.  Check and balances are lacking in government as well.  If Thailand keeps taking the easy way out when it comes to troubles, it will never develop. 

[klauskunkel]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Prayut urged to use Article 44 in Mae Hong Son prostitution probe

Well, he can't use it because then they might have to arrest hi-so and government officials and that will be messy and tarnish this and that and might bring to light other unrelated nefarious activities and so on and so forth. No, he will say that Article 44 should not be used and the "regular" laws and processes are sufficient to ensure the "regular" justice. Article 44 is designed to control the rest of the Thai people, not the ones with influence.

[Chris Lawrence]

Is that a bag of Easter eggs being carried? Chocolates for the little ones?

[mtls2005]

So even though the new, real Charter has been Royally endorsed and "promulgated", it is still "legal" to use powers enabled by an article in the "old", interim charter?

 

Interesting?

 

Are all Article 44 edicts still "legal"?

 

Is there some "Article" in the new charter which somehow makes this "legal"? Or was it some "organic" law passed by the NLA?

 

Nothing like keeping people guessing.

[Srikcir]

50 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Is there some "Article" in the new charter which somehow makes this "legal"?

See Section 265 that states in part (translation by Office of the Council of State):

 

"the Head of the National Council for Peace and Order and the National Council for Peace and Order shall continue to have the duties and powers as provided in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 (2014) as amended by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 Amendment (No. 1), B.E. 2558 (2015) and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 Amendment (No. 2), B.E. 2559 (2016); the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand that pertain to the powers of the Head of the National Council for Peace and Order and the National Council for Peace and Order shall be deemed to remain in force."

 

[sanukjim]

23 hours ago, colinneil said:

Normal law would cause delays, and might risk interference by local influential figures.

Should have said normal law is sure to get interfered with by local influential figues.

 

Get every last one of the disgusting kiddie fiddlers and castrate the bas...ds.

To get the big boys on this those prosecuting the case and those in government offices have to make sure that there is no connections between them and the perps in certain corruption events that might have gone on before..Those connections are enough to exempt many from going to court.

[stephen tracy]

He wouldn't dare play card 44 in a case like this cause this one goes right up the food chain.  Card 44 is only played when he needs tp push ahead with some ill-conceived, self-serving, repressive plan/issue a significant proportion of the population is opposed to.