Three Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials extorted money from Cambodian vendors at a border market, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) says.
The officials are the first batch of investigators from the law enforcement agency to face indictment.
Prayong Preeyajit was appointed by the junta in July to head the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). His watchword: I view corrupt officials as the "rubbish" of the bureaucratic system. (Photo by King-oua Laohong)
The PACC board recently resolved to indict Natthanai Sutthikhana, Pol Sgt Kraipol Thaengthong and Chaiwat Kheilek, of the DSI's centre in the East.
They are accused of serious disciplinary and criminal violations by extorting 400,000 baht from a group of Cambodian vendors at Rongklua border market in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district in 2012, PACC secretary-general Prayong Priyachit said Sunday.
The three were arrested by Khlong Luek police and the PACC later took over the case.
The anti-graft agency had launched a probe into the accused and found they had violated Sections 149, 150 and 200 of the Criminal Code by extorting money, malfeasance and abuse of power.
The PACC will forward its investigation to the Office of the Attorney-General to proceed with the indictments, Mr Prayong said.
Next week the agency will write to DSI director-general Pol Gen Chatchawal Suksomjit so he can take disciplinary action against the three, Mr Prayong added.
The PACC board also resolved to set up an inquiry into Prawit Chaibuadaeng, head of DSI operations centre in Region 2, for alleged malfeasance in connection with extorting money from foreign nationals in Pattaya, Chon Buri.
The PACC says it has received 534 complaints about crime from the public from June 18 to Aug 6 this year.
Of these, 130 were accepted for inquiries board and probes into 29 of those complaints have now been completed.
Most complaints were about forest encroachment, followed by abuse of authority by state officials.
Meanwhile, probes into alleged irregularities in parliamentary spending on several projects during the tenure of former House of Representatives secretary-general Suwichak Nakwatcharachai should be wrapped up next month.
Khunnawut Tantrakul, deputy chairman of the probe panel, said inquiries into alleged irregularities in three projects are 80-90% complete.
They concern a project to renovate the statue of King Rama VII located in front of parliament at a cost of 13.9 million baht, a 2.3-million-baht garbage disposal project as well as a 6.1-million-baht project to get rid of termites, mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and rats in the compound of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
A source in the panel said several officials who were members of procurement committees for those projects said in their testimony the National Council for Peace and Order should have taken power from the previous government sooner.
They said they felt uncomfortable working on procurement panels as they had witnessed spending irregularities in those projects, added the source.