A deputy superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Traffic Control Division who is accused of being involved in the abduction and attempted murder of a Taiwanese businessman turned himself in to Thong Lor police yesterday.
Pol Lt Gen Pakapong Pongpetra, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the accused police officer who has the rank of Pol Lt Col denied the allegations, but stopped short of disclosing his name.
However, investigators had evidence to substantiate their charges against this senior police officer, he said.
He was charged with illegal assembly, abduction, attempted murder and extortion, said Pol Lt Gen Pakapong.
The surrender took place after two Americans and a Thai were arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police over their alleged role in the kidnapping of the Taiwanese man over a business conflict.
Pol Lt Gen Pakapong said the senior police officer has been moved to inactive post pending the outcome of the investigation.
Pol Lt Gen Pakapong said six warrants had been issued in this case. As of now four suspects have already been detained, while the other two, both foreigners, are currently on the run.
The police believed that the remaining two fugitives are still in Thailand.
Pol Lt Gen Pakapong said the arrests of the foreign suspects will not affect international relations, as the police followed formal procedures and informed the embassies their citizens would be arrested.
Police have denied bail for all apprehended suspects, despite their claim to be innocent on all charges, because of the severity of the crime.
American citizens Jeremy Hughes Manchester, 41, and Louis William Ziskin, 52, along with a Thai national identified as Ekbodin Prasitnarit were identified as suspects in the case and arrested. The conflict happened last year, but the crime took place on March 28 this year, police said.