Man seeks redress for wrongful arrest warrant in police exam cheating case
A HOTEL worker in Krabi’s Muang district yesterday filed a petition at the Krabi Dhamrongtham Centre after the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) wrongfully issued an arrest warrant for him over allegations of being involved in the police entrance exam cheating scandal.
Ratthapol Pinyo, 21, asked centre director Sompong Rattana to refund money he had spent to travel to Bangkok to meet police on Monday, have the MPB issue a letter confirming that the warrant had been cancelled and compensate for damages caused by the mistake.
Sompong said he would coordinate with the MPB as requested and ask the Krabi Justice Office to redress the violation of Ratthapol’s rights.
City police chief Pol Lt-General Sanit Mahathavorn said the warrant had been wrongly issued due to a clerical error because a real suspect had the same name. He said he had already instructed officers to be more careful checking exam applicants’ information.
He also said only 38 of the 51 university students accused of taking the exam and showing their answers to applicants had provided testimony. He said police would be open-minded hearing the reasons why the rest delayed their surrender so they could give the “brainy youths” a chance.
Phaholyothin Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Narat Mulasatsathorn said only one arrest warrant had been wrongly issued, and that investigators had already applied for a new warrant for the correct suspect. He said it would take a month or two to complete the investigation and then the case would be handed over to public prosecutors.
Police investigators are looking into alleged cheating at the MPB, Provincial Police Region 7 and Provincial Police Region 1 examinations, while a police fact-finding panel has recommended that only those found cheating should have their test results cancelled.