FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Police chief accepts Prawut's resignation

Police chief accepts Prawut's resignation

Chakthip apologises to media for denying the spokesman had quit

The national police chief yesterday revealed he had already approved the resignation of former police spokesman Pol General Prawut Thavornsiri who disappeared from public view after returning from a vacation abroad.
Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda said Prawut may have resigned for personal reasons, saying it appeared to be his wish to seek early retirement. Prawut was due to retire next year.
“Pol General Prawut had tendered his resignation to the Personnel Division on October 29 and now I have approved it and returned it to the division. The resignation will now be forwarded to the Secretariat of the Cabinet to seek royal endorsement,” Chakthip said. 
Asked about the reasons, Chakthip said he could not remember because he had about 30 files to consider.
“To quit government service is a personal matter and I have the authority to delay it for 30 days if I believe the person is useful for the service. “[However], in this case, he intended to take early retirement.”
Chakthip also apologised to the media for having earlier denied that Prawut had tendered his resignation, claiming he had come to know about it only through the media after which he had checked with the Personnel Department.
He said he did not know whether Prawut had himself submitted the resignation.
The former spokesman went to Italy on vacation after Chakthip, who was appointed to the post last month, replaced him with Pol General Dejnarong Suthichanbancha and after three suspects, including Pol Maj Prakrom Warunprapa, were arrested in connection with lese majeste charges.

Police chief accepts Prawut\'s resignation

Unconfirmed reports claimed Prakrom, who took his own life while in custody, was close to Prawut.
Chakthip added that he had talked to Prawut once after his return from Italy. After that, he had tried to call again but Prawut did not answer the call.
When asked if the resignation was linked to the lese majeste case, Chakthip said the question should be addressed to Prawut. However, he said he did not think the two could be linked.
In a related development, an executive of the National Broadcast and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) met with a police investigation team to give information about the setting up of an alleged illegal communication station on Baiyok II Building in Bangkok.
Police have accused Prakrom of collaborating with Samart Corporation in setting up the station without a permit. After meeting with police, the NBTC representative and police went to Baiyok II building to inspect the station.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking Army source, reacting to the report about 40-50 Army officials, including a major and a major-general, being involved in the lese majeste case, said there was not yet enough evidence to seek legal action against them.
“It is only an accusation by individuals that they are involved,” the source said. He said the evidence has to be solid if police want to charge an Army specialist, who is under the Army’s secretariat office.
Another source in the northern border province of Tak claimed that the Army major who was suspected of being involved in the case had already sneaked into Myanmar through a Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot district.
The source claimed that the major crossed the border on October 31 at around 6pm and an armed group had escorted him away. Myawaddy town of Myanmar is opposite Mae Sot.
His departure was caught on security cameras at the border. The Thai side is coordinating with Myanmar authorities to help bring the major back to Thailand.
Another source said that the major general in question has already tendered the resignation, saying he wants to run his own business.
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