According to Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Jirabhop Bhuridej, 15 police officers who fled when a gunman fatally shot one of their colleagues at Kamnan Nok’s dinner party in Nakhon Pathom will be charged with desertion of duty this week.
He was updating the media on the status of the inquiry into the Sept. 6 shooting death of Highway Police Inspector Pol Maj Siwakorn Saibua, 32, at the home of powerful local businessman Praween “Kamnan Nok” Chankhlai in the Muang district.
A close friend of Mr. Praween’s, the assailant Thananchai Mamnak, injured Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee as well. Police in Kanchanaburi later shot and killed the gunman.
Division 2 of the Highway Police was employing both victims.
According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, investigators conducted many meetings to discuss possible legal action against police for failing to respond to the incident. Investigators came to the consensus that there were 29 police officers present at the dinner party after reviewing security camera footage, witness accounts, and other evidence.
The cops were split up into four groups. The first group included the cops who were killed and injured, while the second group included six officers whose conduct amounted to negligence and the hiding of evidence. They are the six officers that were previously detained and released from duty.
Six additional officers made up the third group and assisted the injured and dead officers.
The remaining 15 officers made up the fourth group, and they would also face desertion of duty charges, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
The CIB chief announced that official charges would be brought against the 15 policemen this week. He noted that charges of making false statements were still being looked at.
Charges of breaking Section 157 of the Criminal Code were agreed upon throughout the sessions. If you are a police officer and you witness a crime, it is your job to make the criminals responsible accountable unless there is a compelling reason not to, such assisting the injured.
“The truth is that only six officers provided assistance to the injured and dead officers. The CIB chief declared that these 15 officials also need to face charges.
According to prior reports, Pol Maj Siwakorn denied Mr. Praween’s desire to promote his nephew, a highway policeman, during the party. Then a shooter entered and started firing repeatedly at Pol Maj Siwakorn and Pol Lt Col Wasin.
The fact that the other police officers present at the party did not even attempt to apprehend the murderer or Mr. Praween and instead let them depart the scene set forth tremendous fury.
Later, the shooter was fatally shot. Mr. Praween surrendered. Since then, authorities have been investigating his financial dealings.
Inquired about Highway Police Sub-division 2 Commander Pol Col. Vachira Yaothaisong, who attended the meal and then killed himself at his home in the province of Pathum Thani. Evidence and eyewitness testimony, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, proved that Pol Col. Vachira was one of those who assisted the two shot officers.
The person who was killed, Pol Maj Siwakorn, was under the direct supervision of Pol Col Vachira, who took responsibility for his invitation to the dinner party.
There are 15 surveillance cameras installed in Mr. Praween’s home, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop. Twelve of them had recorded files, but only two of them were operational. The event at the party was captured on one of the cameras, while another had stopped recording at 10.16 am, before the dinner party began, he claimed.
The head of the CIB declared that there was enough evidence to charge Mr. Praween.
Additionally, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop was adamant that the CIB was not involved in the Monday raid in Bangkok on the home of Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police head.
In response to rumors that police commandos had taken part in the raid, he acted.
He claimed that although the police commando squad was part of the CIB, it primarily answered to the Royal Thai Police Office. He thought the RTPO had given the order on Monday. Not the CIB, that is.
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