Inquiry deepens in maj-general’s extortion probe

[webfact]

Inquiry deepens in maj-general’s extortion probe

By Angsuma Sridokkham 
The Nation

 

 

Five soldiers among suspects in Chinese businessman’s case

 

BANGKOK: -- POLICE ARE preparing to probe the financial transactions of all suspects in the racket that allegedly extorted money from a Chinese businessman. 

 

“The financial probes will allow us to determine who else is involved,” Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpan, who heads the police force’s Patrol and Special Operation Division, said yesterday.

 

He was referring to the case in which the Chinese owner of Kanta Group Thailand and New Gen Airways, known as Surachai sae Yang, lodged a complaint with authorities that the gang had raided his firm on July 14 and forced him to pay Bt2-million protection money.

 

Eight suspects were arrested last Thursday. Among them were five soldiers, including Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters’ member Maj-General Charoon Ampa and Pol Lt-Colonel Nattakrit Yuttaya. 

 

In the wake of the scandal, Nattakrit has been dismissed from the police force. At the time he allegedly committed the crime, he was working for the Economic Crime Suppression Division. 

 

“These suspects have apparently had clear roles, duties and a plan so we are going to press an additional charge of being members of a criminal organisation,” said Surachet. 

 

Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said the 10 suspects had already been charged with raiding the property of a person and jointly extorting money from the victim. 

 

Two suspects are still on the run – Utis Korkaew and Thitikorn Chuen-ura. 

 

“We are going after them. Available information suggests that they have fled to the South,” Surachet said. 

 

Defence Ministry’s spokesman Maj-General Kongcheep Tantravanich said the military would not protect Charoon if he were found guilty.

 

“At present, we have already launched a disciplinary probe against him,” Kongcheep said, adding that Charoon would be suspended from duty if the disciplinary probe showed he violated the law. 

 

“This is on top of the criminal proceedings that police are handling,” he explained. 

 

The only foreigner in the alleged extortion racket, Goh Teck Chuan, looks set to also be charged with fraud in a separate case. 

 

Huai Kwang Police Station’s superintendent, Pol Colonel Kampol Rattanaprateep, said a Chinese woman lodged a complaint against Goh for allegedly taking Bt750,000 from her and not honouring his promise to help her obtain Thai citizenship. 

 

“The victim married a Thai man but still could not get Thai citizenship when he passed away so she agreed to pay Goh when he said he could help,” Kampol said. 

 

After Goh received money, he never contacted his victim again, Kampol added. 

 

The Chinese woman had allegedly paid Goh at a department store in Bangkok’s Huai Kwang area last year. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323710

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-14

[observer90210]

Now here is something new....one of the top brass Thai Police Officials has been sacked on corruption charges?...What happened?...

 

All the other "inactive" punishment positions were filled up??!!...Or is this the dawn of a new era that may clean up the Thai Police of it's rotten apples??

[colinneil]

Well they have sacked 1 senior criminal, keep it up thousands more to go.

Problem is if they sacked them all the country would not have any policemen left.

[smutcakes]

Is this just the police giving the army a gentle reminder that they to have plenty of illegal goings on within their ranks, and lets just be respectful of each other. Move the pieces around etc for PR purposes but dont do anything stupid.

[darksidedog]

58 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Well they have sacked 1 senior criminal, keep it up thousands more to go.

Problem is if they sacked them all the country would not have any policemen left.

Sack them all Colin and start again. I have yet to find a single one who is prepared to lift a finger without being paid for it. The whole force is an organised criminal gang, that makes the Mafia look like beginners.

[JAG]

Well they have sacked 1 senior criminal, keep it up thousands more to go. Problem is if they sacked them all the country would not have any policemen left. 

 

 And would that be a problem?

 

 

 

Now here is something new....one of the top brass Thai Police Officials has been sacked on corruption charges?...What happened?...   All the other "inactive" punishment positions were filled up??!!...Or is this the dawn of a new era that may clean up the Thai Police of it's rotten apples??

 

 

 There are a number of possibilities. The above is one.

 

Targetting a Chinese businessman may have been reckless, given the current relationship with China.

 

There may be a "New Kid on the Block", green or brown, or an alliance of both, who is taking over.

 

Possibly the upwards distribution chain was not working as it should have.

 

We shall probably never know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lupatria]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Problem is if they sacked them all the country would not have any policemen left.

Wow Colin, isn't that already dangerous socialistic ideology? If this kind of cleansing would appeal to all criminal officials, it would turn the country into a sex-workers' and farmers' state.

[12DrinkMore]

3 hours ago, JAG said:

And would that be a problem?

 

It would indeed be interesting to work out if there would be less criminal activity before or after the police were eliminated.

 

[halloween]

5 hours ago, smutcakes said:

Is this just the police giving the army a gentle reminder that they to have plenty of illegal goings on within their ranks, and lets just be respectful of each other. Move the pieces around etc for PR purposes but dont do anything stupid.

Or it could be that corruption is actually being pursued and prosecuted, without regard to uniform or rank. Not at all like the STOP corruption joke, is it.

[Get Real]

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

Well they have sacked 1 senior criminal, keep it up thousands more to go.

Problem is if they sacked them all the country would not have any policemen left.

And exactly what differens would that make??? Have policemen, No policemen. Naah! Sounds same to me. 

[maxcorrigan]

I don't it make much difference Colin if they did? 

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, halloween said:

Or it could be that corruption is actually being pursued and prosecuted, without regard to uniform or rank. Not at all like the STOP corruption joke, is it.

I like your optimism and sure hope you are right but TIT after all is said and done, where lots of things get said and NEVER get done.

[zzaa09]

Another Thai military-themed scandal reference.

 

Imagine that.

[Baerboxer]

On 8/14/2017 at 6:59 AM, smutcakes said:

Is this just the police giving the army a gentle reminder that they to have plenty of illegal goings on within their ranks, and lets just be respectful of each other. Move the pieces around etc for PR purposes but dont do anything stupid.

"

Eight suspects were arrested last Thursday. Among them were five soldiers, including Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters’ member Maj-General Charoon Ampa and Pol Lt-Colonel Nattakrit Yuttaya. In the wake of the scandal, Nattakrit has been dismissed from the police force. At the time he allegedly committed the crime, he was working for the Economic Crime Suppression Division."

 

Appears to have been a joint venture.