Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn is making headlines once again, this time by promoting his new website, hakparn.com, aimed at rallying support to impeach certain members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The reason? Allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth that seem to plague these officials. This initiative gained momentum on May 16, as captured in a striking photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya.
On the following Wednesday, the Police Commission, comprised of twelve members and chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, voted unanimously to back the decision of the acting national police chief to dismiss Pol Gen Surachate. The decision followed accusations linking the high-profile deputy chief to an online gambling syndicate. The commission spent a grueling three hours dissecting the situation before reaching the verdict.
Pol Gen Surachate, known for his flamboyant self-promotion, has been at the center of several controversies. Recently, he and four of his subordinates were accused of money laundering for the infamous BNK Master gambling network. Denying all allegations, Surachate has maintained that these charges were fabricated by his adversaries within the police force, aiming to thwart his aspirations of becoming the police chief.
The dismissal order came in April, authorized by deputy national police chief Kitrat Phanphet. Kitrat had assumed the role of acting chief following the transfer of Pol Gen Surachate and police chief Torsak Sukivimol to the Prime Minister’s Office. This transfer was an attempt to resolve an escalating internal conflict within the force.
Pol Gen Winai Thongsong, a former deputy chief and current commission member, asserted on Wednesday that Kitrat’s decision to dismiss Surachate was legally sound and endorsed by the police disciplinary committee.
However, Surachate isn’t going down without a fight. On Monday, he threatened to file a malfeasance complaint against the prime minister if the dismissal order was not revoked. By Tuesday, he had already proceeded with a defamation lawsuit against a fellow police general who allegedly implicated him in online gambling, coinciding with the issuance of his arrest warrant.
Responding to the lawsuit on Wednesday, Pol Gen Winai remarked, “I am not worried as I can present evidence through the judicial process.” He further commented, “I believe this was an attempt to silence and disqualify individuals from voting in the meeting to determine whether to revoke Pol Gen Surachate’s dismissal.”
The tension doesn’t end here. Alongside the Surachate conundrum, the Police Commission revisited a complaint against the prime minister concerning the appointment of Pol Gen Torsak as the national chief last year. Controversy surrounds the appointment with allegations that Torsak didn’t meet the requisite criteria.
Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, secretary-general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), highlighted that the NACC had previously called upon the Police Commission’s secretary to elucidate the details of the appointment. However, the provided explanation was deemed too vague and failed to clarify whether Pol Gen Torsak met the necessary qualifications.
Given these ambiguities, the meeting on Wednesday concluded with the decision to continue investigating to ascertain whether adequate performance details were presented throughout the selection process.
Surachate has always been controversial. But starting a website to impeach members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission is a new low.
Is it really a new low? Maybe he’s just fed up with corruption. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to clean up his country.
Sure, fighting corruption is noble but doing it while being accused of serious crimes himself seems hypocritical.
I agree with Olivia. Anyone can fight corruption. If he’s innocent, why not support his efforts?
This is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Why would anyone be surprised? He’s been known for self-promotion and theatrics for years. Not shocked at all.
Self-promotion indeed. It’s just a circus show to distract from his own issues.
But he’s also exposed many high-profile crimes. You can’t deny he’s making an impact.
It’s suspicious that every time someone gets too close to power, accusations start flying. This happens everywhere, not just Thailand.
The real issue here is the integrity of the Police Commission. Are they acting independently or just pawns for those in power?
Well, the fact that they spent three hours dissecting the situation shows they considered it carefully.
Or it was a drawn-out facade to make it look like they were thorough.
Honestly, why does the public even entertain these guys? Corruption seems to be the norm rather than the exception in these high offices.
Because sometimes these ‘guys’ are our only hope for change. It’s complicated.
Or maybe because people are just too desensitized to care anymore.
Funny how Surachate threatens legal action as soon as he’s dismissed. Desperation much?
Desperation or just fighting back? If he’s innocent, shouldn’t he defend himself?
It’s a classic legal tactic to buy time and muddle the waters. Seen it a thousand times.
Surachate’s flamboyance might be his downfall. But at least he’s not boring!
The Police Commission needs to be transparent about their criteria for appointments. This whole Torsak affair is just another example of how murky things are.
Transparency is definitely key. But good luck getting that in this political environment.
Malfeasance complaint against the Prime Minister? Talk about taking it to the next level. Popcorn time.
Isn’t it ironic that the National Anti-Corruption Commission might be corrupt themselves?
Absolutely, it just goes to show how deep the rabbit hole of corruption goes.
If they’re corrupt, what’s the point of having an anti-corruption body anyway? Just disband it.
The timing of these accusations against Surachate seems too convenient. It’s like someone doesn’t want him to become the police chief.
Maybe because he would actually clean house if he did become chief.
Or it’s simply that his adversaries are finally getting their act together to bring him down.
Kitrat’s decision to dismiss Surachate might be legally sound, but is it morally sound? There’s a difference.
Morality in politics? That’s a good one.
Hey, we need to start somewhere.
These allegations of money laundering are serious. If he’s truly innocent, wouldn’t he let the legal process clear his name instead of suing everyone?
Or maybe he doesn’t trust the process and is taking matters into his own hands.
Given the choice between Surachate and someone else who might be just as corrupt, what difference does it make? It’s a lose-lose situation.
How does anybody expect to tackle corruption when the very entities that are supposed to fight it are themselves embroiled in scandals?