Police legal department to review decision to strip Thaksin of his rank
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NATIONAL police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang said yesterday he would get the police legal department to check the decision to strip former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of his rank as a police lieutenant colonel was legitimate.
“As police chief, I must protect myself by checking carefully. If I give my signature and then there is a problem later, I will be the one who is sued. Four months after this, I want to step down from my post without having to go to court,’’ Somyot said.
He said he sent documents related to the case on Thaksin’s rank to General Chaiya Siri-ampunkul, chairman of a police committee that looks into officers’ ranks, after finding that the papers were not complete as they had not been properly endorsed yet.
“I can exercise my judgement on the matter and I do not need anyone to recommend the decision. I have two direct bosses – one is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the other Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan,” Somyot said.
Chaiya said his committee made a decision freely to strip Thaksin of his police rank without any influence or instruction from anyone.
Thaksin escaped criminal punishment in Thailand by fleeing the country and is wanted for several corruption cases.
Chaiya said the committee resolved unanimously 5-0 to strip Thaksin of his rank. He also dismissed speculation that the committee was ordered to make such a decision. Two previous governments have considered stripping Thaksin of his police rank but failed to do so.
‘In line with law’
“It was the first time that our committee was instructed by the police chief to make this decision. We debated and made the decision in a forthright manner in accordance with the rule of law and without bias.
“We are not worried even though there will be a change in government,” he said.
He said his committee had no power to later change the decision to strip Thaksin of his police rank.
He denied that the committee failed previously to endorse such a decision for fear of future repercussions. He said it was just a misunderstanding about administrative procedures, explaining that members of the committee must give their signatures for attending the discussion.
The move to strip the former PM of his police rank came hot on the heels of a controversial interview that Thaksin gave in South Korea in which he claimed that privy councillors worked behind the scenes to support protests that led to the ousting of his sister Yingluck’s government by the military a year ago.
The Foreign Ministry has also revoked Thaksin’s passports.
National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Anusit Kanakorn said intelligence officials reported no political moves by the Thaksin camp after the former PM’s passports were revoked plus news that his police rank may also be scrapped because of his record of fleeing the country to escape conviction over a controversial land deal.
