Rice Dept chief explains how he caught Srisuwan, other suspects in sting operation

This is the first time that Natthakit spoke to the press after Srisuwan was arrested in a sting operation on Friday with two other suspects for allegedly demanding 3 million baht from the department chief. In exchange, Srisuwan promised not to pursue alleged irregularities in two of the agency’s projects.

Natthakit said he had always been sincere and honest at work, and Srisuwan’s allegations angered him. Hence, he decided to expose the alleged extortionists, so they do not blackmail other good permanent officials again.

He said he strategised with his wife and had her negotiate with Srisuwan and another suspect, Yoswaris Chuklom, to reduce the demanded amount to 1.5 million baht.

She then used delay tactics to make several transfers of 140,000 baht to gather as much evidence as possible to nail the suspects.

Getting to the root of the problem

Before planning the sting operation, Natthakit said he visited Srisuwan at home on November 28 to ask why he was threatening to lodge a complaint against him when he had done nothing wrong.

He said Srisuwan appeared calm and said nothing.

Natthakit added that he had gone to Srisuwan’s home with his wife and an adviser to Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompow, only identified as Sutee. Natthakit said that though Sutee had accompanied him to Srisuwan’s house, he knew nothing about the ongoing extortion attempt and subsequent sting operation.

“A few weeks after November 28, Srisuwan held a press conference about alleged irregularities in the Royal Rain Making Department and mentioned the Rice Department. This angered me because I had done nothing wrong, so I planned to get him through a sting operation with my wife,” Natthakit said.

He insisted that he paid nothing to Srisuwan on November 28, which is why he was mentioned in the press conference.

“I didn’t inform the agriculture minister’s adviser in advance because I feared the advisory team would be in trouble,” he said. “It is a matter of pride for a permanent official.”

Sense of fury

The Rice Department chief said he was even more infuriated when Srisuwan and Yoswaris threatened to link his wife with the alleged smuggling of chicken and pork if he did not pay the money. Natthakit’s wife has pig and chicken farms.

“I don’t know why I became their target and I don’t know if there was politics behind this,” he added.

He also insisted that he did not siphon from the 15 million baht earmarked for farmer compensations because he had transferred the money to be distributed by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

“I was not the one to spend the money. I transferred it to the bank after the Cabinet resolved to pay farmers 1,000 baht per rai,” Natthakit said.

“I’m innocent. If I had not come out to expose them, how would society survive? Should we allow permanent government officials to be harassed like this all the time?”

He added that the suspects mentioned a “phuyai” or an official with high authority in the Agriculture Ministry in a bid to intimidate him into paying.

“I insist I have done this with my wife and police from the Anti-Corruption Division. Police advised me what to do,” Natthakit added.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj-General Jaroonkiart Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said police had learned that Sutee the adviser was not involved in the extortion attempt.