‘Big Joke’ accuses PM of wrongdoing after suspension from police force
Pol General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn reacted to his suspension from the police force by lodging a malfeasance complaint against the prime minister.
“Today I accuse PM Srettha Thavisin of malfeasance,” he said on Monday after filing the complaint at the National Anti-Corruption Commission. In his complaint, he accused Srettha of bringing him back to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) only to suspend him. The premier had shifted him from the RTP to the PM’s office for 60 days to make way for an investigation into money-laundering charges linked to an online gambling website.
Surachate said he believes he was slapped with these charges because someone wanted to prevent him from rising to the top of the police force, as was his due as the most senior deputy police chief.
He also said that he does not believe the investigators have any jurisdiction over him.
Srettha transferred Surachate and national police chief Pol General Torsak Sukvimol to inactive posts on March 20 following reports of feuds between the two.
Last week, acting national police chief Pol General Kitrat Pangphet signed an order suspending Surachate and five of his subordinates from RTP over allegations that they were involved with the BNK Master gambling network.
A committee set up by Srettha to investigate the affair announced recently that it had found evidence substantiating the allegation that Surachate was involved in money laundering. This prompted Kitrat to set up another committee to investigate the five other suspects after they were suspended from service.
Meanwhile, Surachate has also accused the administration of treating him unfairly over the past six months. “But I’m not worried, I’ll stage a comeback,” he said.
He added that he also asked the NACC to find out if the committee investigating him had any authority over him.
