NACC chief assures of fair, transparent probe into cases against deputy police
The chief of the anti-graft agency on Friday reassured that its investigation into bribe-taking allegations against deputy National Police chief Pol General Surachate Hakparn and four other officers would be carried out with fairness and transparency.
Pol Major-General Surachate, two police colonels, and a police sergeant have been accused of malfeasance for allegedly accepting bribes from an illegal gambling network.
Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, president of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), said that he had no concerns about dealing with the case, adding that its conclusion would depend on the evidence and witnesses.
“The NACC will make this matter clear and transparent. It is important to be fair and the investigation will be based on evidence,” he said.
When asked to comment on worries that the NACC would drag its feet over the case, Watcharapol said that was impossible as this case had gained widespread attention among the public.
The NACC president declined to estimate the time required for the investigation, saying his agency would look into all relevant documents and that not all of them had been submitted to the NACC. He said it was the duty of police investigators to submit those documents and relevant pieces of evidence to his agency.
The NACC commissioners early this month voted 4-1 to take over the police investigation into the malfeasance case against the five police officers. Watcharapol said on Friday that his agency was empowered by the Anti-Corruption Act to investigate the case as it involved “severe wrongdoing”.
In a separate case involving another online gambling network, embattled deputy police chief Surachate is accused of colluding in money laundering and involvement in money laundering as a state official.
Police investigators issued a third summons for him on Wednesday after he failed to show up following two previous summonses. Surachate faces arrest if he does not report himself to police investigators by April 1 to hear money-laundering charges against him.
Surachate, the second most senior deputy commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police, was recently charged with money laundering in connection with the BNK Master gambling website. Police investigators said he was linked to a bank account used by people allegedly involved with the online gambling network.
As per the third summons notice, Surachate is required to show up at the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Division 2 command by April 1 to hear the charges against him. If he failed to do so, the investigators would seek court permission to issue an arrest warrant for him, according to a source familiar with the matter.
