DSI dissolves elite unit over bribery scandal involving suspected triad
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Thursday dissolved its intelligence operational unit following revelations that several of its officers demanded bribes from suspected members of a Chinese triad to allow them to evade justice, the DSI announced on Thursday.
The announcement follows the release of CCTV footage that shows officers of the elite unit demanding bribes from suspects during a raid of a residence in Bangkok’s Sathorn district on Monday.
The residence had been rented by the consulate of Nauru but was sheltering Chinese criminals, police said.
The raid was a joint operation between officers from the DSI and the Armed Forces Security Centre. Eleven Chinese nationals were reportedly detained in the raid.
All were later released.
On Wednesday, the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for five DSI officers for allegedly demanding 20 million baht from the suspected triad members in exchange for letting them go.
DSI acting chief Pol Maj Gen Suriya Singhakamol said on Thursday that apart from scrapping the intelligence unit, the DSI had established a disciplinary panel to investigate the five officers. They have been suspended, he said.
Suriya dissolved the unit just one day after he was put in charge of the DSI.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on Wednesday shocked the country by swapping the chiefs of the DSI and the Central Institute of Forensic Science. DSI director-general Trairit Temahiwong became acting director of the institute, replacing Suriya, who became acting DSI chief.
Trairit told Nation Thailand that he had personally asked to be transferred following a series of accusations of corruption against DSI officers.
On Tuesday, the Royal Thai Armed Forces launched its own investigation into officers from the Armed Forces Security Centre who participated in the raid on Monday.
