An anti-money laundering official who allegedly demanded a 2-million-baht bribe to help a businessperson escape punishment has been dismissed from his post pending a probe into the scandal.
The accusation has been filed with national police chief by Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, chairman of the Help Crime Victim Club. The suspect allegedly claimed Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon was the mastermind behind the bribe.
Pol Maj Gen Preecha Charoensahayanon, acting secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo), said on Friday there are grounds to the claim but argued the incident has nothing to do with Gen Prawit, who is currently visiting Singapore.
The suspect referred to Gen Prawit to serve his own personal agenda, Pol Maj Gen Preecha said.
He did not reveal the suspect's name, describing him only is an "Amlo official at the operational level, attached with the Litigation Division 1", which supervises areas in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.
According to Mr Atchariya's complaint, the official demanded 2 million baht from the owner of a car leasing business in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district in exchange for helping him avoid legal action in a gambling case.
Amlo is investigating the businessperson's alleged involvement in using digital currency to gamble with.
In an audio clip given to police by Mr Atchariya, the official who took the bribe was identified as a "division chief", but the claim was rejected by Amlo officials.
Peerapat Ingpongphan, chief of Litigation Division 1, insisted on his innocence after part of his name, "Pat", was referred to in the case, and a state document used as evidence was said to have been signed by him.
He admitted the signature resembled his, but said that was just a coincidence.
Mr Peerapat believes he was dragged into trouble because the official in question has no authority to influence Amlo's investigation, so the suspect "offered to be a go-between and referred to my name".
He plans to reveal further details of the case, believed to also involve a police officer, on Monday. An initial check found the suspect passed an exam after applying to work with Amlo last year. The office later discovered he was the "only Amlo official who has previously faced an arrest warrant", Pol Maj Gen Preecha said.
This official is required to meet police periodically. He will be prosecuted under Amlo's supervision, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Preecha on Friday also made a point of denying the suspect's claim that Amlo gets a 20% share of assets seized by its officials.
That practice was abandoned in 2007, he said, adding the current law states that all seized assets belong to the state.