National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang on Tuesday vowed to nail more offenders and seize more assets from those involved in the lese majeste and bribery case against the corrupt cartel headed by sacked Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan.
At a press conference, Pol Gen Somyot said the gang had been collecting bribes for years. There would would be more arrests and more ill-gotten assets would be seized.
Police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang, second left, holds a press conference at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok on Tuesday givng more details of the corruption scandal inside the very highest levels of the Central Investigation Bureau. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
The police chief said officers had been collecting money from gambling den operators, officers who wanted promotion, and oil smugglers, and the royal institution had been cited to back its demands for bribes.
"The reference was made to demand benefits from all activities, namely transfers, gambling den operations and oil smuggling," Pol Gen Somyot said.
"I cannot disclose all details at this stage because police are moviong on more offenders... I will not let this continue and I am introducing a system of merits and good governance at the Central Investigation Bureau," he said.
More people to be arrested would include those who had offered bribes to the cartel, the chief said.
Money had been sent to the cartel headed by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat from gambling dens nationwide, Pol Gen Somyot said.
The police chief said the disgraced CIB chief was the head of the cartel and had confessed to all the crimes, which also involved money laundering.
Action against the cartel followed complaints of demands for bribes and unfair transfers of police under the jurisdiction of Pol Lt Gen Pongpat.
Pol Gen Somyot said some complaints went sent to him and to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Other senior officers at the press conference said that former CIB deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj and Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat, former chief of the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-division 1, managed the bribe collection for Pol Lt Gen Pongpat.
Pol Maj Gen Wisut Chatchaidet, chief of Metropolitan Police Sub-division 6, insisted that Pol Col Akkharawut committed suicide in a fall on Nov 20, and that his death had nothing to do with any officers handling the case.
At the press conference, pictures were shown of valuables seized from 15 places -- 11 houses owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani, one house owned by Pol Maj Gen Kowit and two owned by Pol Col Akkharawut, and one owned by a civilian.
Some properties owned by Pol Lt Gen Pongpat were left to appear still under construction, to avoid attention.
Some pictures showed safes and vaults that had to be breached to reach the valuables inside.
There were buried safes and well concealed vaults at Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's properties. where police found cash, rare artefacts, expensive Buddha images and amulets, and gold ornaments. Luxury vehicles and land title deeds were also seized.