Thai police detain organiser of training program over logo misuse
Li Ming Long, president of the Thai-China Business Union, has been detained for using the police logo without permission during a ‘volunteer police’ training course
Thai police have filed several charges against the organiser of a “volunteer police” training program at Bangkok’s Siam University, including using the Royal Thai Police logo without permission.
The charges follow allegations from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and Central Investigation Bureau regarding the three-day program, which kicked off on December 25 last year.
It was reported that Chinese participants were charged 38,000 baht each for the training, and upon completion, they received a two-year certificate, police gear and an official police badge.
Pol Colonel Kittipong Pansri, acting superintendent of Phasi Charoen Police Station, said on Monday that Li Ming Long, president of the Thai-China Business Union, has been detained for allegedly organising the program and using the logo without consent. Violators could face up to a year in prison and/or a fine of up to 2,000 baht, he said.
Kittipong explained that Siam University lecturers and students, and two police officers who had been invited as speakers, were summoned for questioning at the police station. He also noted that only two of the 13 participants had contacted the police. Police are collecting evidence and plan to summon additional suspects for questioning, he said.
The officers, identified as Pol Colonel Niwet Ngamlap, chief of the investigation sub-division of Metropolitan Police Division 3, and his deputy, Pol Lt Colonel Kriangsak Chuaiwong, have been reassigned to inactive posts at the operations centre of MPB pending the outcome of further investigations.
While no formal complaints have been filed about the 38,000 baht fee for the training session, Kittipong said two of the participants had confirmed that they paid the amount willingly.
He said the initial price for the training session in Pattaya on December 25 was 38,000 baht, but was later reduced to 33,000 baht after the venue was shifted to Siam University in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district. He added that university staff and students were allowed to participate for free.
Kittipong added that it was up to Siam Univesity and the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry on whether they would take the case further.
