Senior police officer accused of demanding bribe from Malaysian suspect

A police lieutenant colonel who is the investigation chief at Sadao Police Station in Songkhla province was arrested by officials from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Monday for allegedly demanding money from a Malaysian suspect.

His arrest follows a joint operation among the CIB, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, and Provincial Police Region 9, a CIB investigator said.

The investigator revealed that the suspect was responsible for the case of a Malaysian national who had been arrested for possessing a firearm without a permit on Sunday (January 26), with bail set at 75,000 baht.

The man’s wife, who is also Malaysian, posted the bail in the stated amount, but was asked to pay an additional 5,000 baht as a ‘facilitation fee’.

After the man was released on bail, the lieutenant colonel contacted him again and demanded another 20,000 baht, claiming that it was a fee for processing the case, police said.

The lieutenant colonel faces charges of wrongfully exercising or not exercising an official’s duties to the injury of another person. The charges carry a punishment of up to 10 years imprisonment or 20,000 baht fine, or both, under Section 157 of the Criminal Code.