Court upholds order removing Surachate from service pending probe

Supreme Administrative Court has dismissed a case filed by Pol Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, seeking to revoke an order that placed Surachate off duty pending investigation, ruling that the order was lawful.

According to reports, Surachate—former deputy national police chief—filed the case against the National Police Chief, the Police Civil Service Merit System Protection Commission (K.P.C.P.), and the Prime Minister, asking the court to cancel the order removing Surachate from service while an investigation proceeded.

The reports said the dispute stems from allegations linked to the BNK MASTER online gambling case, in which Surachate has been named a suspect and faces criminal proceedings on allegations including money-laundering-related offences.

The Supreme Administrative Court found that the order placing Surachate off duty was lawful because, at the time it was issued, there was a Criminal Court arrest warrant in connection with the alleged money-laundering case linked to online gambling.

Reports said the off-duty order was signed on April 18, 2024 by Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet, the National Police Chief at the time, and Surachate later appealed through the police merit-system channel.

In a related development cited in the reports, the police merit-system body previously voted 6–0 to uphold a subsequent order connected to disciplinary action against five officers, including Surachate, linked to the same case context.