20-5-2024 (BANGKOK) Phongsathon Suwannaraksa, a high-profile attorney renowned for championing victims of sexual abuse, has found himself on the opposing side of the law. The 34-year-old lawyer, better known as “Lawyer Arm,” was arrested on Monday in his hometown of Songkhla by officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) on allegations of raping and blackmailing one of his own clients.
The arrest stems from a harrowing incident involving a 26-year-old woman who claims to have suffered severe depression as a consequence of the alleged assault, culminating in a suicide attempt last November. According to reports, the distraught victim attempted to take her own life by jumping from the deck of the HTMS Chakri Naruebet naval vessel docked in Chon Buri province, only to be rescued in the nick of time.
Upon his arrest, Phongsathon vehemently denied the rape accusation, asserting that the sexual encounter in question was entirely consensual. “It was perfectly consensual. I will definitely win this case [countersuit]. If I lose, I will stop being a lawyer,” the suspect defiantly stated.
In a stunning twist, the embattled lawyer revealed that he has filed lawsuits against the woman, accusing her of attempted extortion and filing a false police complaint against him. Furthermore, he has petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the police officers from Don Muang district who are handling the rape case against him.
The troubling saga allegedly began in 2022 when the woman sought Phongsathon’s legal counsel in pursuing a civil case against a friend who had failed to repay a substantial debt of 100,000 baht (approximately £2,300). At the time, the lawyer was running as a candidate for the Kla Party in a by-election in Songkhla, though his bid proved unsuccessful.
According to the woman’s account, Phongsathon lured her to Bangkok under the pretext of attending a party organized by the Kla Party, only to isolate her in a hotel room where he allegedly committed the heinous act of rape. She claims that in the aftermath, the lawyer resorted to blackmail tactics against her.
Ultimately, the woman mustered the courage to file a rape charge against Phongsathon at the Don Muang police station in Bangkok. In retaliation, the lawyer not only launched countersuits against her but also initiated legal proceedings against the very police investigators handling her case.
