No infighting, ‘people are just imagining things’, says new police chief
Newly appointed Royal Thai Police chief Pol General Torsak Sukwimol on Monday dismissed rumours of infighting in the bureau, saying under his supervision, RTP will be a “home” for all police officers.
The issue of dissension within police ranks recently came up following raids on homes owned by Deputy National Police chief Pol General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn.
Observers believe the raids may have been conducted to discredit him, as he was one of the top contenders for the National Police chief’s job.
Surachate had said earlier that he believed the raids on his six houses were motivated by politics within the force.
“I won’t seek revenge, but I have a lot of details that, if revealed, can put the entire Royal Thai Police Bureau under fire,” he had said.
However, the new police chief told Thai-language media on Monday that there will be no infighting under his supervision.
"I want to make the Royal Thai Police Bureau a home [for all policemen],” Torsak said, adding “there are no disputes in the bureau, people are just imagining things".
Last Friday, photographs of Torsak standing next to Surachate began circulating, with many netizens wondering if this might mark the end of the conflict.
Torsak said he had invited Surachate to meet him that day to discuss their differences.
He reportedly told Surachate “you can’t find someone more sincere than me. I’m an honest person with no tricks. I say what I believe. I have never stabbed anybody in the back.”
At this point, everybody is waiting to see how Torsak will allocate responsibilities among his deputies. Surachate is expected to handle security-related matters.
