On Tuesday, Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn went to the Tao Poon police station in Bangkok to surrender, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for him that morning.
The Criminal Court had issued the warrant for Mr. Surachate’s arrest after he failed to respond to three prior summons related to a case involving a gambling website.
Investigators are looking into his involvement in a scandal with the online gambling site BNKMaster, following evidence that financial transactions linked him to the operation.
The charges against Mr. Surachate, as detailed in his arrest warrant, include conspiracy, money laundering, and assisting in money laundering activities, all within the scope of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Mr. Surachate arrived at the police station at 5:30 pm on Tuesday and spent around two hours discussing the case with authorities.
After securing his release on bail, he left the station, although the bail amount and details of the case were not disclosed.
Mr. Surachate stated, “The case is currently undergoing judicial review, and I remain innocent until proven guilty.”
It has been reported that Mr. Surachate’s bail was set at 100,000 baht.
The Metropolitan Police Division 2 has alleged that Mr. Surachate, along with three other police officers and a civilian, was involved in laundering money for the gambling site BNKMaster, which was shut down last year.
After the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the three police officers and civilians implicated in the case, National Police Chief Pol General Torsak “Big Tor” Sukvimol summoned Mr. Surachate for interrogation.
He received three separate summons on March 17, March 22, and March 27.
