Ex-deputy police chief gathering support for impeachment petition

Former deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said Sunday that he has so far gathered more than 16,000 signatures of voters to support his petition to impeach a commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Surachate announced on his Facebook wall on Sunday that he visited Khon Kaen to gather signatures from his supporters to back the petition.

He said he would not name the NACC commissioner in question until he receives the required 20,000 signatures of voters to support the impeachment petition.

But it is known that he is campaigning for the removal of Suchart Trakulkasemsuk, whom Surachate earlier asked the NACC to prevent from having a say in a malfeasance case against him.

Surachate was suspended from police service after a police committee accused him of laundering money for an online gambling group.

He has accused Suchart, whom he has allegedly lobbied for appointment to the NACC, of having a personal grudge against him.

On May 16, Surachate submitted the impeachment petition to Parliament Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and vowed to obtain the 20,000 signatures soon.

Surachate said he spent 19 days gathering more than 16,000 signatures and would need just over 3,000 more.

He said he would visit Chiang Mai in the morning of June 1 to gather signatures and visit Lampang in the afternoon of the same day to campaign for more.