2 MPs from Songkhla fail to attend Security Committee hearing over online gambling bribe allegations

In a recent meeting of the House of Representatives Security Committee, Rangsiman Rome, an MP from the People’s Party, chaired the session that discussed the alleged online gambling bribes involving two MPs from Songkhla. The committee aimed to investigate claims that Chanonpat Naksua (MP from Kla Tham) and Somyos Plai-duang (MP from the Democrat Party) were involved in paying bribes to police officers from proceeds related to online gambling operations.

When the meeting began, Chanonpat and Somyos were absent. Chanonpat informed the committee that he was busy with a local engagement, while Somyos sent a letter stating he was abroad on official business. As a result, the committee reviewed the information provided by Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, former Deputy Police Chief, and Achiraya Ruangrattanapong, chairman of the Crime Victims Assistance Club, along with Pimwilai Pongon, a witness who provided details of money transfers linked to online gambling bribes.

The reporter reported that during the meeting, Pol Gen Surachate questioned Pimwilai about the details of the money transfers. Pimwilai explained that after her arrest, she inquired with the person who hired her to transfer the money about the reasons for doing so. The person replied that the money transferred to the police or to other recipients was illegal, coming from gambling proceeds, and was part of an extortion payment from online gambling operations sent to the police.

“I did transfer the money as instructed. The person who hired me coordinated with someone who would come to collect it on the 5th and 10th of every month. He informed me that the police unit receiving the money was the PCT 4 unit, and the money would be transferred to Deputy Gamo. I filed a complaint at the Hat Yai Police Station. After I was arrested, I felt I was not treated fairly as I was unaware of this,” Pimwilai said.

Pol Gen Surachate then asked about a local politician, Vichai Chookamnerd, a member of the Hat Yai City Council, and discovered that a sum of 100,000 baht had been transferred to him once, along with transfers to Kachacharn, a proxy account of a police officer named "Darb Yao," as well as other proxy accounts linked to "Darb Yao." The money trail also led to Nipapan Sukvimol, the wife of Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, former National Police Chief, with 38 transactions totaling 3 million baht. Additionally, the trail included payments to Pol Gen Torsak’s brother and sister, and the money continued to flow to Pol Lt Col Weerawat Charoensilp, Pol Gen Torsak’s on-duty officer.

Pol Gen Surachate questioned why the money from Chanonpat was sent back to Pimwilai, to which she replied, “I’m not sure why this happened.”

Pol Gen Surachate then instructed the Security Committee to inform the Office of Police Commission and send the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), as well as to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to seize the assets of the police officers who received money from the gambling websites. The case will also be forwarded to the Revenue Department for an audit of the back taxes owed by these officers.

The reporter also noted that Achariya, chairman of the Crime Victims Assistance Club, revealed that he had been investigating cases related to proxy accounts tied to drug trafficking and online gambling in the southern and northern regions of Thailand since 2020. He found that Chanonpat’s gambling websites now had 12 active sites with a turnover of 5 billion baht. Previously, when Prasert Chantharavong was the Minister of Digital Economy, he seized assets worth 500 million baht from the gambling network, which had been connected to "Chao Nan" lottery fraud. Prasert had denied sending police officers to collect money, but documents had surfaced showing the names of Pol Lt Col Phubet Ketkaew and Sgt Chawalit, among others.

Achariya continued by saying that Pol Lt Col Phubet had forged documents to send messages to banks and instructed them to notify those whose accounts had been frozen, demanding a 50% extortion fee to lift the freeze. Sgt Chawalit was found to have been collecting 100,000 baht per account, totaling over 500 accounts, using a similar method.

Achariya raised concerns about why the accounts were unblocked only upon payment, adding that he had gathered evidence showing Chanonpat received 2 million baht from a suspect in the gambling case, raising doubts about the purpose of the money. He emphasized that while he was collaborating with DE minister Chaichanok Chidchob and Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat, Minister of Justice, in the fight against scammers and online gambling, he was not accusing anyone but urging a thorough investigation.