Nine policemen linked to the CIB graft scandal and wanted on arrest warrants for allegedly receiving bribes from an online gambling network will be suspended from duty.
A formal order suspending them from office will be issued in the next few days, Royal Thai Police spokesman, Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri said on Friday.
The nine senior officers, mostly assigned to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), are accused of receiving bribes in connection with the online football gambling network known as Abubakar bin Sulaiman.
Disgraced former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Pongpat faces the same charge, the latest among several other charges filed against him. The nine officers are alleged to be part of his criminal network The CSD is under the CIB.
The nine are:
1. Pol Col Watcharapol Thongluan, a CSD superintendent
2. Pol Col Athip Thaennil, a CSD special operations superintendent
3. Pol Lt Col Pipat Chawengrat, an inspector at the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD)
4. Pol Maj Chakkrapan Leelananthawong, a CSD inspector
5. Pol Capt Nithipat Kangruambutr, CSD deputy inspector for special operations
6. Pol Lt Col Wattana Polngandee, a CSD inspector
7. Pol Col Supat Lim-im, a TCSD superintendent
8. Pol Maj Apisit Mekprayoon, a CSD inspector for special operations
9. Pol Capt Sakarin Kesornthian, a deputy inspector at the Anti-Human Trafficking Division.
Pol Lt Gen Prawut said investigators had written to the commanders of the units in which the accused officers serve after the court approved warrants for their arrest on Thursday.
None of them had yet surrendered. If they failed to appear to answer the charges they would be arrested.
Investigators were considering whether to apply for arrest warrants for other people involved in the case, he said.