NACC ‘needs more time’ to probe Surachate’s complaint against Srettha
The National Anti-Corruption Commission needs more time to study a complaint of alleged malfeasance filed by former deputy National Police chief Pol General Surachate Hakparn against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the NACC Office secretary-general said on Wednesday.
NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said the NACC had earlier summoned the secretary to the Police Commission to hear his explanation about the case but it needed more information.
Niwatchai was referring to a complaint by Surachate filed against Srettha in April, accusing him of committing malfeasance when he was appointed police commissioner-general last year.
Surachate filed the complaint in April this year after he was fired from police service for alleged money laundering for an online gambling network.
Last year, Surachate was seen as the most senior deputy police chief in line for promotion to the post of police commissioner-general but Srettha nominated Pol General Torsak Sukvimol, who was ranked fourth in seniority, to the Police Commission for endorsement as the new National Police chief.
Surachate accused Srettha of failing to observe normal criteria when he picked the police chief nominee.
Nitwatchai said the commission’s secretary testified to the NACC on the overall conditions without going into details on the performance of the candidates for the top post.
Niwatchai said the NACC held a meeting about the case on Wednesday and wanted more information on how the Royal Thai Police Act would give weightage to points of investigative performance of the candidates. The NACC also wanted clarifications on the term “investigative performance”.
Niwatchai said NACC officials would conduct more investigation as to whether the investigative performance of top candidates was submitted to the Police Commission for consideration.
He said the NACC did not set a deadline for more investigation on this point.
Niwatchai said it could not be stated now whether Srettha would face a formal investigation because of Surachate’s complaint, as the NACC was still at the stage of gathering facts to decide whether the complaint had substance or not.
Niwatchai said the NACC also took up two cases for primary deliberation related to Surachate – about the Minnie online gambling network and another case in which Surchate was accused by Taopoon Police Station of laundering money for an online gambling network.
