Six police officers dismissed from the force for helping Praween “Kamnan Nok” Chankhlai escape arrest following the fatal shooting of a policeman at his house have been moved to the Bangkok Remand Prison.
The Hanuman special task force of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Wednesday transferred the officers from the Samut Songkhram Central Prison, said Pol Maj Gen Montree, the CSD commander.
They were arrested on charges of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code for dereliction of duty, Section 184 for helping wrongdoers escape punishment and Section 189 for concealing evidence.
The transfer took place under tight security after the Royal Thai Police Office ordered that the CSD take over the handling of the case.
The six officers are Pol Maj Kiatisak Somsuk, 52, an inspector at the Krathum Baen police station in Samut Sakhon; Pol Capt Natthapol Nakkorn, 59, deputy inspector at highway police station 1; Pol Capt Narongsak Taeng-ampai, 58, deputy inspector at highway police station 1; Pol Lt Nimit Salidkul, 57, deputy traffic inspector at Muang district police station in Nakhon Pathom; Pol Lt Prasarn Rodpol, 58, deputy inspector at highway police station 1; and Pol Sub/Lt Sansarn Srisawat, 55, deputy inspector at highway police station 1.
They were dismissed from the force over their alleged involvement in the aftermath of the fatal shooting at a dinner party at the house of Mr Praween, then a kamnan (tambon chief) in Nakhon Pathom, early this month. They were accused of helping the suspected gunman and Mr Praween to escape.
Mr Praween, 35, is also being detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison. He is a prime suspect in the murder of Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua, a highway police officer, on the night of Sept 6. About 30 policemen reportedly attended the event.
According to earlier reports, Pol Maj Sivakorn had rejected Mr Praween’s request for the promotion of his nephew, a highway policeman. Gunman Thananchai Manmak, an associate of Mr Praween, subsequently fired multiple shots from close range at Pol Maj Sivakorn. He died and some stray bullets injured Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee of Highway Police Sub-division 2.
The gunman was killed two days later in an exchange of fire with police in Kanchanaburi, and Mr Praween subsequently surrendered to police.
The Bangkok Remand Prison has eight zones but the six officers will be held in a different zone from Mr Praween, said a source familiar with the case.