Surachet submits ‘evidence’ against 30 police officers to House committee

Former deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn on Thursday submitted what he described as “evidence” against around 30 police officers to a House committee, supporting his allegations that they had been on the payroll of online gambling networks.

Surachate met and testified before the House Committee on State Security, Border Affairs, National Strategies and Reforms, chaired by People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome, for about three hours.

Evidence of alleged money transfers

Speaking to reporters after the session, Surachate said he had presented evidence of financial transactions from gambling websites to the bank accounts of more than 30 police officers.

He added that he had earlier submitted the same set of information to Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, the national police chief, on August 20, 2024, but no action was taken. He therefore decided to bring the information to the House panel instead.

Surachate claimed that the implicated officers included members of a special police taskforce established to suppress online gambling operations.

Rights as a citizen

He said that since he had been dismissed from police service, he was now acting under his rights as a Thai citizen in submitting the information to Parliament.

Surachate further alleged that the data also implicated a police general with the initial “T”, with transaction records showing money transfers to the bank accounts of the general’s wife, brother, and sister.

Denies attacking entire police force

Surachate accused Kitrat of attempting to turn other police officers against him for his remark that “the police are the biggest criminal organisation”.

He admitted making the comment but clarified that it referred only to a small group of corrupt officers who had accepted money from online gambling sites — not to the entire 200,000-strong police force.