Top Police Officer in Thailand Denies Involvement in Bribery Case

According to police, the recently transferred chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) provided contradictory information about alleged bribery involving his five subordinates during a raid on a property occupied by suspected Chinese criminals.

DSI Director-General Traiyarit Temahiwong insisted during questioning on Thursday that his order for a DSI special team to carry out their task was legal, but he had not ordered them to rob.

Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said the former DSI chief told police investigators he had no information about the house the team searched. He added that his subordinates had not reported back to him on the operation.

Mr. Traiyarit responded to investigators’ questions about a raid on the home of the former consul-general of the Republic of Nauru in Bangkok’s Sathon district on December 22. It was carried out by DSI personnel as well as officers from the Patrol and Special Operations Division, also known as 191 Police.

“His statement ran counter to what the special DSI team told police. “The team stated that after completing their task, they reported their operation to the then-DSI chief,” Pol Gen Surachate said on Friday.

“As a result, I and the investigation team are obligated to gather facts to determine whether Mr. Traiyarit knew the exact outcome of the operation or not.” Mr. Traiyarit arrived around 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Royal Thai Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road to make his statement.

Police Extortion

Following the alleged extortion and bribery by DSI officials and police involved in the raid, he was transferred from the DSI to the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS).

When questioned about the alleged extortion of 9.5 million baht during the raid, Mr Traiyarit told investigators he had no knowledge of the money, according to Pol Gen Surachate.

According to the deputy national police chief, the investigators had to extend the investigation because the money had to be distributed among those involved in the raid.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 16 people in connection with the events that led to the release of 11 Chinese suspects found hiding in the former consul-house, general’s including five DSI officials, nine police officers, a military police officer, and a Chinese-born interpreter.

Mr. Traiyarit also denied knowledge of a raid on a luxury condominium in the Huai Khwang area on the same day involving three DSI officials, according to Pol Gen Surachate, who added that warrants for their arrest would be issued.

Previously, Seksit Sawanyathiput, director of the DSI Bureau of Development and Logistics and Mr Traiyarit’s close aide, claimed the latter was informed about the search.

Chinese gangsters in Thailand

Mr. Seksit was summoned for questioning after allegedly requesting cooperation from a deputy commander of the 191 Police to search the Sathon residence. According to Pol Gen Surachate, the latter notified the deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) chief, who gave a verbal order for police to carry out the operation.

Chuvit Kamolvisit, a former politician who first exposed the extensive activities of Chinese gangsters in Thailand, claimed that the consul-former general’s residence housed illegal Chinese nationals and served as a base for forging passports and visas.

On December 22, officers arrested 11 Chinese nationals, one of whom was on Interpol’s Red Notice list, and seized 8 million baht. On October 26, they allegedly escaped a raid at the Jinling pub, an illegal business catering to Chinese tourists on Bangkok’s Charoen Rat Road.

According to reports, all of the suspects discovered in the house were released in exchange for 5.5 million of the seized funds. Mr. Chuvit also claimed that the officers demanded 4 million baht to be picked up from a petrol station by the Chinese interpreter.