Two investigators removed from lottery tickets case

Two investigators removed from lottery tickets case

Pol Lt  Col Chuwit Charoennak, deputy superintendent for investigation at Muang district police station in Kanchanaburi, is one of two investigators moved to an inactive post at the Crime Suppression Division over the 30-million-baht lottery case. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)
Pol Lt Col Chuwit Charoennak, deputy superintendent for investigation at Muang district police station in Kanchanaburi, is one of two investigators moved to an inactive post at the Crime Suppression Division over the 30-million-baht lottery case. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)

Two police investigators handling the controversial 30-million-baht lottery case in Kanchanaburi have been moved to inactive posts at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.

Pol Col Thotsaporn Pathumya, chief of Muang police station in Kanchanaburi, signed the order for their removal from the case on Friday. The order was formally approved by the Royal Thai Police Office on Thursday.

The two officers are Pol Lt Col Chuwit Charoennak, deputy superintendent of investigation, and Pol Capt Jirayut Chatcharinkul, deputy investigation chief.

The order transferring the two police investigators to the CSD in Bangkok.

Pol Lt Col Chuwit was the head of the investigation in the 30-million-baht lottery case involving a retired police officer and a school teacher, and Pol Capt Jirayut was the case officer in charge.

The lottery tickets dispute and investigation has dragged on for more than three months, with both claimants - retired police lieutenant Jaroon Wimol and school teacher Preecha Kraikruan - continuing to insist they are the rightful owner of  the set of five lottery tickets, No. 533726, that won a first prize in the Nov 1 draw last year.

Pol Capt Jirayut has told CSD investigators who took over the case from Kanchanaburi investigators that he had been ordered verbally by his superior to alter the investigation report several times to give more weight to the teacher’s claim that he bought the winning tickets and lost them.

Pol Capt Jirayut and Pol Lt Col Chuwit were among four investigators in the case who gave testimony to the CSD. 

The lottery saga  has also put Kanchanaburi provincial police chief Pol Maj Gen Sutthi Puangpikul in the hot seat. He was removed and transferred to an inactive post at police headquarters in Bangkok on Wednesday for alleged interference in the case.

Pol Maj Gen Sutthi was implicated in testimony given by an unnamed police captain handling the case, who said the provincial commander had instructed him to question all witnesses to Preecha’s claim, and make sure they were all in harmony.

Earlier, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, chairman of the Crime Victims Assistance Club,  submitted a petition to national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, asking him to temporarily move the Kanchanaburi police chief to RTP headquarters in Bangkok.

Mr Atchariya said Kanchanaburi police officers in charge of the lottery tickets dispute case had been put under pressure by the involvement of the provincial police chief.

Pol Lt Gen Thirirat Nongharnpitak, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, said later on Friday the CSD investigation was now 90% complete and the national police chief would announce the finding on Feb 28.

Pol Capt Jirayut Chatcharinkul, deputy investigation chief at Muang police station in Kanchanaburi. The officer told the CSD that he was ordered by his superior to alter the investigation report several times. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)

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