The Bangkok South Criminal Court has approved warrants for the arrest of three police officers for allegedly extorting one million baht from a Japanese businessman, Daily News Online reported.
Named in the warrants are Pol Lt Col Pongthawat Khongsua, a general staff officer attached to Metropolitan Police Division 6, Pol Lt Kritpakorn Niamsorn, a Crime Suppression Division officer, and Pol Sr Sgt Maj Veerasak Phaosu, of Phra Khanong police station.
Kigushi Masato, 36, a Japanese proprietor of an entertainment venue in Silom area, lodged a complaint with Yannawa police on Sept 6, saying that he had been extorted by a group of three police officers.
According to the complainant, the three officers, fully armed, went to his room in the Empire Tower building on South Sathorn road on Sept 5. They accused his Thai wife and her friend of involvement in a drug trafficking ring.
The police then took him and his wife to a safehouse and demanded three million baht from him in return for their release. The Japanese man said he had only one million baht and gave it to them before he and his wife were set free.
Yannawa police investigated the complaint and applied to Bangkok South Criminal Court for warrants for their arrest. The court approved the request on Sept 21.