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The chief of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has confirmed MP Chuvit Kamolvisit's claim that senior police officers own a big illegal casino in the heart of Bangkok.
Former massage parlour tycoon-turned-politician and opposition MP Chuvit Kamolvisit (Photo by Kosol Nakachol)
PACC secretary-general Ampol Wongsiri on Thursday confirmed that his staff had found the casino on Ratchadaphisek 18 Road in Bangkok. http://www.bangko...in-bangkok
Six high-ranking police officers have been transferred to inactive posts pending investigation of Rak Thailand party-list MP Chuvit Kamolvisit's claim in parliament that police operate a major casino in the heart of Bangkok.
Pol Maj-Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat, Metropolitan Police Division 2 commander, Pol Col Paisal Wongwacharamongkol, chief of Suthisarn police, were transferred, along with four other senior officers at Suthisarn police station, police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said on Thursday afternoon.
Mani Sulaiman Sengmasu, a member of the Talowae's Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO) and his three-year-old daughter were killed and ten others injured from a hail of gunfire when a group of about 40 suspected insurgents stormed the residence of a former village chief.
The presumed insurgents also torched just about everything in sight, including two pickup trucks, a ten-wheel truck, a motorbike. The home was set to blazed and the only installation in tact were two small huts.
According to Yala's Governor Grisada Boonrach, who personally accompanied the injured to the nearby Banangsata Hospital, the ten injured were four Paramilitary Rangers and the rest were family members of the Dorloh Sengmasu, the former village chief of Ban Talohwae who appeared to be the prime target of the Thursday morning attack.
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Stakes rise in casino row
CHUVIT UNVEILS NEW VIDEO OF SECRET DEN, THREATENS TO DEAL CARDS ON SECOND OUTLET
Rak Thailand Party list MP Chuvit Kamolvisit has revealed a new video clip apparently showing gambling equipment being removed from a hidden casino he revealed in last week's policy debate in parliament.
If the video clip is real, it will be a blow to the Sutthisan police station, which insisted it was unable to find any illegal gambling dens in its jurisdiction, as claimed by Mr Chuvit.
In the new clip, trucks are seen transporting gambling equipment out of the casino to be stored at a nearby warehouse. The video was supposedly recorded about 3am on Thursday.
Mr Chuvit played a clip of the suspected casino before parliament on Tuesday, the first day of the two-day debate on the new government's policies.
He said yesterday this was the last time he would disclose information about this particular casino, as he found it unacceptable that the police were too slow to take action.
The police had waited for three days before going to the alleged casino, which gave the casino operator plenty of time to remove evidence, said Mr Chuvit.
That ruined the credibility of the police, said Mr Chuvit.
He knew of another illegal casino in the Chokechai Si area and he also had video footage of its operations. Police have denied such a casino exists, which has upset Mr Chuvit, who yesterday threatened to release the video to prove his claims.
He denied speculation that he exposed the alleged casinos as a favour to someone who desperately wanted to remove national police chief Wichean Potephosree from his post.
He insisted that what he was doing was for the sake of society and not a political game.
Pol Gen Sathaphon Laothong, who is leading the police panel investigating the casino claims, said 10 witnesses had been questioned and they had provided useful information.
Among the witnesses were taxi motorcycle drivers and car park attendants of the first alleged casino.
The panel would invite Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commissioner Chaktip Chaichinda for questioning on Thursday in his capacity as the boss of both Sutthisan and Chokechai Si police stations.
Pol Maj Gen Suthi Nerakanthi, MPB's Division 4 chief, said he had received a report concluding that there was no such casino on Chokechai Si Road, as claimed by Mr Chuvit.
Meanwhile, an Abac poll published by Assumption University shows the public was most impressed by Mr Chuvit in the policy debate.
The survey of almost 1,500 Bangkok residents aged 18 and older showed 90.7% backed Mr Chuvit, whom they said was helping society. Most also named Mr Chuvit as a rising star because of his performance and said they wanted him to keep divulging the truth.
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Sutthisan casino 'dismantled'
Police say it existed, but publicity drove it away
The Royal Thai Police's panel probing an alleged illegal gambling den in the Sutthisan area said yesterday it believed the casino had existed but had been stealthily dismantled since it was identified by MP Chuvit Kamolvisit.
Pol Gen Sathaphon Laothong, who is leading the panel, said information gathered through questioning witnesses, combined with the video clip submitted by Mr Chuvit, the Rak Thailand Party list MP, was sufficient evidence to suggest the allegations were true.
On Saturday, Mr Chuvit revealed the new video clip apparently showing gambling equipment being removed from a hidden casino.
Mr Chuvit had earlier revealed his evidence of the casino during last week's policy debate in parliament.
Pol Gen Sathaphon said the panel had already verified the new video clip and had found traces of recent dismantling inside the building Mr Chuvit said was a casino.
"As such, the Sutthisan police station chief could no longer insist that there has not been such a casino [in the Sutthisan police station's jurisdiction], and he will have to face a disciplinary punishment," said Pol Gen Sathaphon.
Sutthisan police station chief Pol Col Paisarn Wongwatcharamongkol and Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) Division 2 commissioner Pol Maj Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat were yesterday called in for questioning by the panel.
A number of other senior police officials and inspectors were also summoned by the panel.
The panel was in the process of deciding which officials at Sutthisan police station and the MPB's divisions would have to be held responsible for allowing the casino to exist in their precinct, said Pol Gen Sathaphon.
More senior police officials were to be summoned for questioning today before the panel could wrap up its investigation and hand a report to national police chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree by tomorrow, Pol Gen Sathaphon said.
The casino controversy began last week when Mr Chuvit played his first video clip during the opening day of the debate on the government policies on Tuesday.
The clip showed illegal gambling inside an unknown den Mr Chuvit said was on Ratchadaphisek Soi 18, which is in the Sutthisan police station's jurisdiction.
Mr Chuvit claimed that police had turned a blind eye to the operation because senior officers owned the casino.
The MPB initially dismissed Mr Chuvit's complaint, but since Pol Gen Wichean set up a committee to investigate the tip-off, the bureau has transferred six senior Bangkok police officers to inactive posts in response to the affair.
MPB spokesman Pol Maj Gen Prawut Thawornsiri said then that the bureau transferred Pol Maj Gen Damrongsak and five top officers in the Sutthisan police station because their jurisdiction covered the area where the alleged casino operated.
The officers transferred were Pol Col Paisarn, his two deputies for crime investigation and suppression, and two investigation and suppression inspectors.
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Chalerm orders casino crackdown
Metropolitan police have three days to clear the capital city of all casinos, or other agencies will be asked to do the job instead, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said on Monday.
Mr Chalerm said that within three days the metropolitan police must have shutdown all casinos operating in the capital city, such as those in Tao Poon, Kingphet, Yai Hong and Bang Na areas.
He said he had more information on illegal gambling dens than Rak Thailand party list MP Chuvit Kamolvisit.
If in three days city police were not able to do the task assigned them, then other agencies such as the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, Region 1 police or border patrol police would be asked to take over the job.
He said he had information that a small casino paid under-the-table money to authorities at the rate of 80,000 baht per hour for eight hours per day and a large casino paid 150,000 baht per hour. Some large casinos had hundreds of gambling tables.
These gambling dens were a source of huge illegal income for authorities and politicians, Mr Chalerm said.
Mr Chalerm said he would also propose a major revamp of the Royal Thai Police Office if the police failed to shurt down the casinos.
"I would consider putting the right men on the right jobs. But if doing that is not within the scope of my authority, I would ask the prime minister to make a decision," he said.
Mr Chalerm said he is not authorised to appoint or replace the national police chief. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who chairs the Police Board, has that authority.
The deputy prime minister, who has been assigned to oversee the Royal Thai Police Office, also said he had placed Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong, a deputy police chief, in charge of drug suppression and Pol Gen Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya, another deputy police chief, in charge of crime suppression.
Ms Yingyuck today dismissed as groundless a report that Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, ex-wife of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawantra, had been pushing for police chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree to be replaced by Pol Gen Priewpan, her step brother.
The prime minister said she had not yet thought about a police reshuffle and Khunying Potjaman had not interfered in this matter.
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