Police scandal: "Never again," says Somyot (Updated Wednesday)

The national police chief vows to end police graft as more specifics are revealed on the charges against the suspects in a growing scandal within the police department. The number of people charged has risen to 12, including five civilians.

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Wednesday update

With PM's support, Somyot vows corruption crackdown

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says police have his full support in their bid to bring down the group headed by former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan.

"No matter who is involved, they will be caught. Everything will be based on evidence," said Gen Prayut, insisting police investigators are following the appropriate steps to arrest the suspects, ranging from receiving complaints to substantiating their charges with evidence.

The prime minister made the comments while national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang told a press conference that more police and individual suspects would be arrested.

Asked why police commanders allowed the crimes to occur for years without taking any action, Pol Gen Somyot said he had no idea why that happened.

"I don't know what the police chiefs in the past thought but in my tenure, no matter how 'big' they are, I will not allow it to happen again," he said. "I will set new standards and guidelines for the CIB to base its governance and merit system on."

Tuesday update

12:20 The press conference has now ended and National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang and his team have shown photos of some of the massive amounts of valuable objects seized from 15 properties connected with the main suspect former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan. He said the corruption ring led by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat has likely existed for many years and many more people are likely to be arrested. Pol Lt Gen Pongpat has reportedly confessed to all charges against him.

Here's more from our online reporters:

Action against the cartel followed complaints of demands for bribes and unfair transfers of police under the jurisdiction of Pol Lt Gen Pongpat.

Pol Gen Somyot said some complaints went sent to him and to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Other senior officers at the press conference said that former CIB deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj and Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat, former chief of the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-division 1, managed the bribe collection for Pol Lt Gen Pongpat.

Pol Maj Gen Wisut Chatchaidet, chief of Metropolitan Police Sub-division 6, insisted that Pol Col Akkharawut committed suicide in a fall on Nov 20, and that his death had nothing to do with any officers handling the case.

At the press conference, pictures were shown of valuables seized from 15 places -- 11 houses owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani, one house owned by Pol Maj Gen Kowit and two owned by Pol Col Akkharawut, and one owned by a civilian.

Some properties owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat were left to appear still under construction, to avoid attention.

Some pictures showed safes and vaults that had to be breached to reach the valuables inside.

There were buried safes and well concealed vaults at Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's properties. where police found cash, rare artefacts, expensive Buddha images and amulets, and gold ornaments. Luxury vehicles and land title deeds were also seized.

11:05  The press conference has begun and it looks like its a big one. I'll have more later.

9:15  Thai PBS reports that National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang has scheduled a press conference this morning at 10:30 to give additional details on the case. The TV channel also said there has been a report that Rerngsak Saknarongdech, the last remaining suspect who had not been held by police, has now been arrested.

Charges revealed

Here is the latest information on the growing police scandal based on reports from our reporters.

The number of people charged in the latest scandal has risen to 12, including former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan, six other police officers and five civilians.

Only one, civilian, Rerngsak Saknarongdech, remains at large.

Police yesterday submitted the charges to the Criminal Court to support the arrest warrants they had requested.

They included many more details on what earlier were rather vague charges of "misconduct committed by state officials", "dealing with state officials demanding benefits", "malfeasance," and "violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law".

Specifically, Pol Lt Gen Pongpat allegedly colluded with Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuean; Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat, who recently plunged to his death in mysterious circumstances and was immediately cremated; and Pol Col Wuthichat Liansukhon, to demand 3-5 million baht from police officers — totalling about 50 million baht — in exchange for promotions between Oct 1, 2010, and Nov 11 this year.

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungrote were also charged with operating gambling dens in Huai Khwang at which they allegedly said they would hand the money over to the "monarchy".

Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb is also accused of citing the "monarchy" when taking bribes from oil smuggling gangs amounting to 1-2 million baht per month.

He allegedly delivered 35 million baht to Pol Maj Gen Kowit and 118 million baht to Pol Lt Gen Pongpant between Dec 28, 2011, and July 18 this year.

The charges against the civilians range from extortion to forest encroachment.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya yesterday discussed their alleged crimes with senior officials at the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and told the two agencies to start looking into the case to support the police investigation.

The DSI, which handles "special cases", has been told to prepare to take action if police determine the allegations fall within the DSI's purview, while Amlo will investigate the suspects' seized assets, Gen Paiboon said.

Monday's story

Ex-CIB chief, 6 cops held over bribery

Pongpat house raids net B10bn cash, assets

POST REPORTERS

Former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayapan has been detained along with seven other suspects on a number of charges, including violating the lese majeste law, a highly placed police source said yesterday.

About one billion baht in cash, valuables and assets totalling 10 billion baht have been found and seized during the recent searches of six houses owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat.

Among items and cash seized were more than a hundred rare Buddha images, several thousand amulets and a large number of land title deeds, said the same source.

Police commandos searched the houses of the eight suspects after their arrests, said the source.

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri confirmed yesterday the suspects were Pol Lt Gen Pongpat; Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungrote, a former CIB deputy chief; Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuean, former chief of the Marine Police Division; Pol Col Wuthichat Liansukhon, former chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division's Sub-Division 4; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak Chan-ngao, the driver of Pol Lt Gen Pongpat; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin Laothong, the driver of Pol Maj Gen Kowit; Pol Col Kowit Muangnual, chief of Samut Sakhon's immigration police office; and Sudathip Muangnual, the wife of Pol Col Kowit.

Aside from these suspects, police are also tracking Sahuang Mungthiang and Rerngsak Saknarongdech, who they believe committed similar crimes.

According to a police source, Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb confessed that he accepted bribes worth 2-3 million baht per month from oil smuggling gangs and the other members of his ring received 12-13 million baht a month from the same gangs.

Even the two drivers of the former CIB chief and deputy chief have assets worth about 50 million baht, the source claimed.

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat, who was detained at Tao Pun police station since 1am yesterday after his interrogation, was charged with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law; Section 148, which deals with misconduct committed by state officials; Section 149, dealing with state officials demanding benefits; and Section 157, dealing with malfeasance.

Pol Maj Gen Kowit, Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb, and Pol Col Wuthichat also face these charges, while Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin Laothong were charged with malfeasance and unlawfully demanding benefits.

Pol Col Kowit and Ms Sudathip faced deforestation and forest land encroachment charges for allegedly constructing buildings on natural water resources.

They also were charged with violating Sections 117 and 183 of the law on navigating through Thai waters.

Ms Sahuang and Mr Rerngsak were charged with possessing the carcasses of protected species.

National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang yesterday ordered the dismissal of the detained officers, except for Pol Col Kowit.

Pol Lt Gen Prawut said police had evidence to back up charges that the suspects had insulted the monarchy and unlawfully sought benefits for themselves, among other crimes.

Details of their wrongdoings and evidence to back up the allegations made against them will be revealed at a press conference soon, he said.

Police will today seek approval from the courts to further detain the eight suspects while continuing their investigations.

Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat, former chief of the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-Division 1, who plunged to his death recently in an apparent suicide, was also found to have been involved in the same misconduct as the eight suspects, Pol Lt Gen Prawut said.

He said Pol Col Akkharawut had committed suicide by jumping off a building because he was under a lot of stress about the alleged misconduct.

Witnesses insisted he had made three previous suicide attempts, Lt Gen Prawut said.

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