The Central Court for Corruption and Misconduct on Tuesday acquitted Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangprapai, former deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and two subordinates of charges of malfeasance involving payment of a 10 million baht gambling debt.
Public prosecutors had arraigned Pol Maj Gen Wichai, then deputy chief of the bureau; Pol Lt Col Supakrit Daenjaengram, then superintendent for investigation at Metropolitan Police Division 1; and Pol Lt Thaweesak Kotsayanant, also then of division 1, as defendants in the case.
They were charged with collusion in demanding money in exchange for not performing their duty and with negligence of duty in violation of Sections 149 and 157 of the Criminal Code.
The prosecution case filed on Feb 18 last year said the three defendants had jointly planned to arrest Paphon Daothong, a murder suspect wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Court, Amnart Saksaeng and a woman, Warangrat Suebnopparat, during a raid on a gambling den in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area on Oct 28, 2009.
The three people were caught, along with other gamblers. Pol Lt Thaweesak, the third defendant, later took the three to his office at division 1 to meet Pol Maj Gen Wichai and Pol Lt Col Supakrit, who had arranged that Ms Warangrat's creditor Suwanee Burakotset was also present.
Pol Maj Gen Wichai and Pol Lt Col Supakrit had allegedly asked Ms Warangrat to pay off the 10 million baht gambling debt to Ms Suwanee in exchange for them not taking action against Mr Paphon in the murder case.
The two senior officers had allegedly told the woman, who had a special relationship with Mr Paphon, that they would instead charge him with illegally possessing and carrying weapons in public.
Ms Warangrat had later agreed to pay off the debt by transferring ownership of her house in Si Racha district of Chon Buri and issuing two cheques of 5 million baht each to Ms Suwanee.
After the debt was paid, Pol Lt Thaweesak handed Mr Paphon and Mr Amnart over to Lat Phao police station for legal action on the weapon offences. He also asked they arrest Mr Paphon, based on the Chiang Mai Court warrant.
The three people had not faced gambling charges.
The prosecution charged that the defendants had been negligent in their duties by dropping the gambling case. They had also allegedly committed malfeasance in demanding money from Ms Warangrat, who later lodged a complaint against them with the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The three defendants had denied the charges.
The court on Tuesday found Ms Warangrat gave conflicting testimony on several points. Other witnesses testified that Pol Maj Gen Wichai and Pol Lt Col Supakrit had not been involved in the raid on the gambling den, which was carried out by the third defendant, Pol Lt Thaweesak.
The court found the third defendant had performed his duty in line with the police crackdown on against crime, illegal drugs and weapons.
The court dismissed the case, ruling there was no evidence to substantiate claims that the three defendants had committed malfeasance relating to the gambling debt payment, as alleged by Ms Warangrat.
All three defendants were at the court on Tuesday for the judgement.
The former deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau chief said he accepted the ruling and would not file a counter suit against anyone. It was up to the prosecutors if they wanted to appeal the ruling.
Pol Maj Gen Wichai said he is now working with Social Development and Human Security Minister Adul Saengsingkeo as a member of the team handling the Din Daeng flats project.