Pol General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn responded to his suspension from the police force by filing a malfeasance complaint against the prime minister.
“Today I accuse PM Srettha Thavisin of malfeasance,” he declared on Monday after submitting the complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
In his complaint, he claimed that Mr. Srettha only reinstated him to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to then suspend him.
The prime minister had reassigned him from the RTP to the PM’s office for 60 days to clear the way for an investigation into accusations of money laundering connected to an online gambling site.
Mr. Surachate expressed his belief that these charges were imposed to block his ascent to the top of the police hierarchy, a position he felt entitled to as the most senior deputy police chief.
He also stated that he does not think the investigators have any legal authority over him.
On March 20, Mr. Srettha moved Mr. Surachate and the national police chief, Pol General Torsak Sukvimol, to inactive roles following reports of conflicts between the two.
Recently, acting national police chief Pol General Kitrat Pangphet issued an order to suspend Mr. Surachate and five of his associates from the RTP due to their purported involvement with the BNK Master gambling network.
A committee appointed by Mr. Srettha to delve into the issue recently revealed that it had uncovered proof supporting the accusations of Mr. Surachate’s involvement in money laundering.
This led Mr. Kitrat to form another committee to investigate the other five suspects following their suspension.
In the meantime, Mr. Surachate has also criticized the administration for treating him unfairly over the last six months. “But I’m not worried, I’ll stage a comeback,” he affirmed.
He further requested that the NACC determine whether the committee investigating him had legitimate authority over him.
