23-4-2024 (BANGKOK) Eight police officers in Nakhon Pathom have been suspended from their duties after a chicken processing factory owner accused them of attempting to extort 200,000 baht from her over the employment of migrant workers. The factory owner claims the workers were legally employed, and the officers were allegedly upset because she had refused to meet their repeated demands for “merit-making” donations.
Pol Maj Gen Suwan Chiewnawinthawat, the chief of Nakhon Pathom police, signed an order on Monday suspending the eight officers from Samkwaipuak police station pending an investigation into the charges leveled against them, according to an informed source on Tuesday.
The suspended officers are Pol Capt Natheephong Harnphanit, the deputy investigation chief at Samkwaipuak, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chaiphuek Puirod, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Prasut Saiphromyad, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Narong Hothong, Pol Sgt Maj Rojjasak Khumkhong, Pol Sgt Chaiwat Tumchim, Pol L/Col Wutthichai Sriphunphan, and Pol L/Col Nanthawat Iemjorn.
The factory owner took to the “Sai Mai Tong Rod (Survive)” Facebook page and filed a complaint with the Nakhon Pathom provincial police, alleging that eight officers from Samkwaipuak inspected her factory on March 29 and found five Myanmar migrants working there.
Despite providing the officers with proper documentation for the workers, the factory owner claims the officers deemed it insufficient and threatened legal action against her for allegedly sheltering illegal migrants. According to her account, the officers then demanded 200,000 baht from her, a sum that was later reduced to 15,000 baht when she refused to pay the initial amount.
The factory owner alleges that the officers were angry with her because she had repeatedly refused to meet their demands for donations, purportedly for “merit-making” purposes. She claims the officers had frequently extorted money from her in the past, demanding between 2,000 and 3,000 baht for these supposed donations. Lately, she had been giving them only 100 baht, which allegedly angered the officers and led to the raid on her factory and the accusations of employing illegal migrants.
A video clip widely circulated on social media appears to corroborate the factory owner’s allegations. The footage shows the factory owner handing over 15,000 baht to one of the accused officers at the Samkwaipuak police station, with the officer seen sharing the money with the other team members.
According to reports, the video was captured by officers at the station who disapproved of the actions of the eight accused officers and was subsequently posted on Twitter (formerly known as X) by a user named “Red Skull.”
The suspension of the eight officers has been met with calls for a thorough and transparent investigation into the allegations of extortion and abuse of power.
“This incident has once again highlighted the need for robust accountability measures within law enforcement agencies,” said Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, director of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand. “The public’s trust in the police force is essential, and any allegations of misconduct must be addressed swiftly and impartially.”
