Warrants have been approved for the arrest of three police officers and a civilian, while a summons has been issued for a high-ranking police officer over accusations of money laundering in connection with an illegal online gambling network.
Pol Maj Gen Thinnakorn Rangmat, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on Tuesday that the senior police officer to be summoned holds the rank of a general.
Pol Maj Gen Thinnakorn declined to identify the suspects.
A source close to the investigation said police sought the arrest warrants after they discovered financial links between the five and an illegal online gambling website known as BNKMaster, which was busted last year.
The source said that police found during their investigation that money was transferred to a close aide of a senior police officer. The aide in question has been charged with money laundering.
After reviewing the request submitted by Pol Maj Gen Thinnakorn, the Criminal Court approved the arrest warrants for the four and issued a summons for the high-ranking officer because of his seniority, said the source.
A team of lawyers representing deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, aka "Big Joke", on Tuesday denied the court had summoned Pol Gen Surachate for questioning.
They admitted that police had wanted the court to issue an arrest warrant for Pol Gen Surachate, but they had insufficient evidence.