KANCHANABURI: The provincial police chief has been abruptly and permanently transferred to an inactive post at police headquarters in Bangkok to "ensure justice" in the long-running dispute over ownership of a 30 million baht lottery first prize.
Pol Maj Gen Sutthi Puangpikul was transferred on Wednesday, and ordered to report on Thursday to Pol Lt Gen Suraphol Phinitchob, deputy director of the Royal Thai Police operations centre.
The order, signed by Pol Gen Suchart Teerawawat, inspector-general of the RTPO, said the move would ensure Pol Maj Gen Sutthi no longer had any affiliation with his former office in Kanchanaburi.
The order transferring Pol Maj Gen Sutthi to Bangkok.
The order did not cite any specific reason for the transfer of the provincial police chief, only that it was necessary so that investigators from the Central Investigation Bureau’s Crime Suppression Division could smoothly handle the investigation into the 30-million-baht lottery dispute and ensure justice for all.
It involves Pol Lt Jaroon Wimol, aged 62 and now retired, and Preecha Kraikruan, 50, a teacher in Muang district. Both men claim ownership of a set of five lottery tickets, No.533726, that won a first prize in the Nov 1 draw last year.
Mr Preecha claimed he purchased and lost the winning tickets, citing three lottery vendors as his witnesses. He alleges he dropped the tickets, and that Pol Lt Jaroon picked them up. The retired policeman, who cashed in the tickets, strongly denies this.
It was earlier reported that Pol Maj Gen Sutthi had asked Pol Lt Jaroon and Mr Preecha to his house to mediate the dispute.
There are reports that Pol Maj Gen Sutthi’s transfer might stem from testimony given by a police captain in Muang Kanchanaburi, to the effect the provincial police chief had instructed him to question all witnesses regarding Preecha’s complaint of losing the winning tickets and make sure they were all in harmony.
National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda recently ordered Provincial Police Region 7 to transfer the case to the CSD in the face of public scepticism over the conclusion drawn by regional police investigators - that the five winning tickets belonged to Mr Preecha.
Pol Maj Gen Sutthi on Thursday said he was ready to comply with his superior’s order. However, he was unable to report to the operations centre today as he had another official duty in Chiang Rai province. He would report another day.
He maintained that he followed proper procedures regarding witness evidence in his handling of the lottery investigation.
He declined to comment when asked about the release to the media of an official document on the investigation that was later circulated online.
In it, a police captain, a deputy investigation chief handling the case, states the provincial police chief had ordered him to alter the investigation report several times to give more weight to the teacher's claim.
CIB chief Thitirat Nongharnpitak had also sent a letter to the national police chief asking for the transfer of Pol Maj Gen Sutthi, according to Khaosod.
According to the document, a plastic envelope containing the five tickets that the retired police officer gave to the police investigator for verification of hand writing on it had also vanished.
Pol Lt Jaroon handed the envelope over on Nov 28 and the investigator had kept it in a drawer of his office desk. The officer said his desk was later ransacked and the envelope had disappeared.
He had already reported this to his superior, who then consulted a "police major general''. The general told the team not to send the plastic envelope for handwriting verification. (continues below)
Pol Lt Jaroon Wimol lodges a petition for justice at the Crime Suppression Division on Feb 6 after being charged with fraud in connection with lottery tickets. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Pol Lt Jaroon handed the envelope to the investigation team to verify whether the handwriting, relating to the price of the tickets, belonged to lottery vendor Patcharida Promta, who claimed she sold the winning tickets to another vendor, Ratanaporn Supathip.
The retired officer's lawyer also posted a message on his Facebook account about documents supplied by what he called "police from the Dhamma camp''.
Media reports this week quoted a CSD source close to the investigation as saying that the team looking into the dispute had identified Pol Lt Jaroon as the owner of the tickets, after receiving a large amount of evidence, including recorded phone calls. The team had decided that Mr Preecha was never in possession of the disputed tickets, according to the source quoted.
The source said the team was now reviewing evidence and statements from witnesses to determine who should face charges in connection with the dispute.
Meanwhile, Mr Preecha was adamant on Thursday that he was not the one who would face a jail term over the lottery case.
The outcome would depend on evidence from witnesses tracked down by investigators, he said.
However, the courts would still have the final say, he added.
Mr Preecha said he had already consulted his lawyers about the legal battle and was not worried about being imprisoned. Prison was for bad guys, he said.
“I am not worried because it’s not me who'll be put in jail. Let’s just follow the case through. A movie has several episodes. You have to look at witness evidence.
"I have key pieces of evidence that cannot be disclosed yet, as it would affect the case,’’ Mr Preecha asserted.
During a media interview at Thepmongkholrangsi School around noon on Thursday, Mr Preecha said he did not personally know the provincial police chief.
He had met Pol Maj Gen Sutthi only twice, to give evidence. The first time was on Nov 29, in the presence of police investigators, he said. The second time, he and his relatives went to the police chief’s office on Dec 1 to give additional evidence. He said his statement to the investigators was factual.
He had never made a phone call to the police chief, he said.
At the centre of the storm: Preecha Kraikruan, 50, a teacher in Muang district, Kanchanaburi province, is certain he will not be going to jail over the 30-million-baht lottery tickets dispute. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)
The set of five winning lottery tickets, worth 30 million baht.