The suspended deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, submitted a request today to the head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), asking for an inquiry into Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's alleged misuse of power.
Surachate has asked the NACC to look into the prime minister's appointment of Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol as the national police chief last year, his own suspension from the police force by the acting national police chief, and the reasons behind the investigation into the BNKMaster online gambling platform, in which he and some of his close associates have been accused of money laundering.
Surachate has also questioned the authority of the police investigation team. He contends that they did not present their findings to the NACC within the legally required 30 days of receiving a complaint against him and his colleagues, therefore their inquiry is invalid and they are not authorized to carry out the investigation.
Surachate and Torsak were moved from the Royal Thai Police to the Prime Minister's Office by the prime minister while the investigation into the online gambling network is ongoing. Last week, Surachate was temporarily suspended from the police force while a disciplinary investigation is conducted.
The embattled deputy police chief appealed for fairness from the Police Service Commission for Merit System Protection last week, asking for the withdrawal of the suspension order.
He believes that there is a deliberate effort to hinder his advancement to become the next national police chief. He also expressed confidence in his eventual reinstatement.
