Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn aka Big Joke has asserted that he is not associated with online gambling. Instead, he believes that what has occurred is a political maneuver within the Royal Thai Police, aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
He spoke to the media after his house in Soi Wipawadi 60 was searched by the police from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau Police and arrest warrants were issued for his subordinates.
He expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the search warrants, as they did not specify the homeowner’s name. He believed that the issuance of the search warrants might have been done improperly since the police did not inform the court that the house belonged to him.
Nevertheless, he agreed to cooperate with the searches of all five houses, on the condition that senior police officers would be present.
No evidence of legal wrongdoing was found during the search, and no financial trail linking him to online gambling was discovered. Therefore, the searches conducted on this day were seen as excessive. He will take legal action those involved.
Regarding the arrest warrants for his eight subordinates, it is their responsibility to clarify whether they were involved or not, he said.
Pol Gen Surachate said that this search operation was premeditated and is part of an internal political game within the Royal Thai Police. However, he could not confirm whether it was related to the police chief nomination.
He left it to the media to draw their conclusions but urged the public to keep an eye on developments over the next four to five days. He encouraged them to observe why the searches and arrests of officers in his team occurred during this particular period. (TNA)
