Four police colonels quit over lese majeste

“There is suspicion that at least two of these police officers had engaged in alleged lese majeste offences. But to date, they have not been identified as suspects,” an informed source disclosed yesterday.
The source said the available information suggested two of these police colonels allowed Pol Major Prakrom Warunprapha, who had worked at the Technology Crime Suppression Division, to use state resources such as guns, vehicles and radio communication devices for personal purposes and helped Prakrom destroy evidence of the alleged crimes.
Prakrom, late fortune-teller Suriyan “Mor Yong” Sujaritpolwong and his secretary, Jirawong Wattanathewasilp, were arrested in October for allegedly claiming royal connections for their own vested interests.
Prakrom and Suriyan have both died while in custody.
Lt-General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, acting deputy National Police commissioner, is heading the investigations.
The same source revealed that a 500-page investigation report on the matter had been submitted to the National Police Office’s Criminal Affairs Division. “Twelve other cases against this [alleged] gang are also pending,” the source said.
Colonel Kachachart Boondee a staff officer at the Third Army Area, was charged alongside Jirawong in another lese majeste case. They are accused of falsely citing the Royal Family to demand money from big firms. Kachachart stopped showing up for work when the others were arrested. His name is also linked to a major-general who recently resigned.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday confirmed that a major-general had recently tendered his resignation.
“I have assigned General Preecha Chan-o-cha, the Defence Ministry’s permanent secretary, to approve the resignation,” he said.
Prawit said he did not know the exact reason behind the resignation, but he insisted there was no need “to get suspicious here”.
He said the whereabouts of Kachachart were still unknown..