Police are seeking the arrest of more suspects in connection with the alleged criminal network run by former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat Chayapan.
Pol Lt Gen Sriwara Rangsiphramnakul, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said yesterday police were preparing to seek warrants for more suspects, mostly those thought to be involved in illegal football gambling between 2009 and 2010.
The suspects are mostly police officers, said Pol Lt Gen Sriwara.
The move came after Phahon Yothin police on Sunday won approval for their request for a new warrant for five suspects in an alleged bribery scandal involving online football gambling.
The five are Pol Lt Gen Pongpat; his former deputy, Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj; Pol Col Worapoj Pheuchphol, former chief of the Economic Crime Suppression Division's Sub-division 1; Pol Lt Col Songrak Khunsri, deputy chief of the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-division 6; and a civilian, Witoon Trakanpruek.
Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and Pol Maj Gen Kowit already face legal action on various counts, including lese majeste.
They await their fate in jail as the police probe into the CIB's activities under his tenure continues. While the first two of the group are already in jail, the warrant had to be sought on procedural grounds as it concerns new charges.
The MPB chief said police have solid evidence to back their requests for the warrants. None of the new suspects wanted on arrest warrants issued on Sunday have contacted the police so far, he said.
In a separate development, three more suspects wanted by police on a lese majeste charge and in connection with the ex-CIB chief case were detained yesterday.
They are identified as Kasina Worawit, a close friend of Natthapol Suwadee (formerly Akkharaphongpricha), already detained in connection with the ex-CIB chief case, and two unidentified men.