'Big Joke' challenges PM over sack order
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'Big Joke' challenges PM over sack order

Surachate: Dismissal order 'illegitimate'
Surachate: Dismissal order 'illegitimate'

Deputy police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn on Monday threatened to file a malfeasance complaint against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin if the PM failed to have the order temporarily dismissing him from the force revoked.

Pol Gen Surachate, aka "Big Joke", said he had appealed to the Police Virtue Protection Committee against the dismissal order and also petitioned the premier, in his capacity as chairman of the Police Commission, to have it reviewed. If Mr Srettha ignored the issue, Pol Gen Surachate said he would lodge a complaint against him for negligence of duty.

Pol Gen Surachate added that the dismissal order was also found to be illegitimate by the Council of State, the government's legal adviser.

Earlier, a police source said that the Police Commission would meet on Wednesday to consider whether the order to dismiss Pol Gen Surachate was in breach of the law. Mr Srettha was expected to preside over the meeting.

The dismissal order was issued in April and signed by deputy national police chief Kitrat Phanphet, who was appointed acting police chief after Pol Gen Surachate and Pol Gen Torsak Sukivimol were transferred on March 20 to the Prime Minister's Office, in a move to address a mounting rift within the police force.

Pol Gen Surachate said whether or not he would be reinstated in the police force would depend on the Police Virtue Protection Committee, which is considered the police force's "Administrative Court."

He also criticised Mr Srettha for an apparent lack of leadership to address the conflict within the police force, saying the prime minister should exercise his authority as a person in charge and fix the problems.

He was responding to media reports that Mr Srettha hoped that he and Pol Gen Torsak would reconcile and work together in the public's best interest and prevent the conflict from eroding public confidence.

Pol Gen Surachate said he would also file a malfeasance complaint next week against Pol Gen Torsak, who was reinstated as the national police chief last week if he failed to revoke the order.

He said he intended to file a complaint against Pol Gen Kitrat with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Monday as the dismissal order had not been reviewed by the fact-finding committee set up while Pol Gen Kitrat was acting police chief.

Meanwhile, Pol Gen Kitrat said on Monday that Pol Gen Surachate's appeal against the dismissal order is pending review by the Police Virtue Protection Committee.

He insisted the order was thoroughly considered but declined to comment on the Council of State's opinion about the dismissal order.

He said Pol Gen Surachate had the right to complain if he felt he was unfairly treated.

He also laughed off speculation that he could be first in line to replace Pol Gen Torsak, who will go into mandatory retirement at the end of September.

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