Former immigration police chief Surachate Hakparn on Wednesday slammed police for a lack of progress in their investigation into the drive-by shooting at his car as he showed up to give statements to police.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate, known as "Big Joke", said he had information about possible suspects but would not share it with the media.
"If they aren't powerful, they wouldn't dare to do it. If I were the national police chief and no arrests were made I would take responsibility. This is not a complicated case, but there is no sign [of arrest] after three days have passed," he told reporters ahead of his meeting with Bang Rak police.
Footage from security cameras showed two gunmen on a motorcycle opening fire at his Lexus sedan which was parked in Soi Sarika near Suriwong Road on Monday night. No one was injured in the shooting and Pol Lt Gen Surachate was not in the car at that time.
Ex-immigration police chief Surachate Hakparn arrives at Bang Rak station to give a statement on the drive-by attack on his car. Pornprom Satrabhaya
Pol Lt Gen Surachate said the drive-by shooting was mostly likely linked to the Immigration Bureau's procurement of a biometric system. He also handed over documents related to the scheme to police.
According to Pol Lt Gen Surachate, he proposed the cancellation of the biometric system procurement due to delays in the project hand-over but nothing happened. The former immigration police chief said the shooting took place as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was preparing to call witnesses to give statements about the scheme. "There were attempts to negotiate with me but I refused to meet them. And then the shooting happened," he said.
He said he was not "challenging" anyone by criticising the biometric system procurement scheme or trying to be reinstated to the police force. He said he only wanted the truth to be made public because the project cost the country up to 2 billion baht.
NACC secretary-general Warawit Sukboon said a probe is under way into alleged irregularities in the biometric system procurement and there is no plan so far to call for Pol Lt Gen Surachate's statements.
He said the panel is still reviewing information on the scheme and it is possible those involved may be summonsed to give information. He added the panel will inspect the systems installed in various provinces next week.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pakkapong Pongpetra said police are still gathering evidence to determine the motive even though Pol Lt Gen Surachate is convinced it is linked to the biometric system. Pol Lt Gen Pakkapong said police will retrieve the bullets from Pol Lt Gen Surachate's sedan for forensic firearm examination.