Leak links ‘Big Joke’ to gambling scandal

Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn confirmed yesterday he had yet to be summonsed over his alleged links to online gambling websites allegedly run by a young woman known as “Minnie”.

Pol Gen Surachate was responding to an unconfirmed “leaked report” that the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) had summonsed him to give his side of the story.

Suchanun Suchitninsri, 25, alias “Minnie”, is suspected of running online gambling websites, allegedly fronting for eight senior police officers.

“So far, I have not received a summons. Nobody has contacted me to give a statement. I assure you that I am not involved in any online gambling case,” Pol Gen Surachate said.

He said a police investigation report naming a number of his subordinates with alleged links to the “Minnie” case had been submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which later returned it to investigators, saying it needed more investigation.

He said the extended investigation linking five senior police officers, including himself and Pol Maj Gen Pairote Kujiraphan, chairman of the police investigators association, with the activities of the gambling ring was still with the NACC, which would investigate further.

If a summons was issued, he might be asked to explain the sources of his money to see whether it was linked to the proceeds of the gambling websites, Pol Gen Surachate said.

CCIB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhonbancha confirmed yesterday that no summons had been issued to Pol Gen Surachate, although Pol Maj Gen Pairote, one of the senior officers allegedly linked to Minnie’s gambling sites, had yesterday submitted documents to the NACC.

“I have to come out to protect my dignity and that of the police investigators association, which I serve as chairman,” Pol Maj Gen Pairote said.

On Monday, Prayut Phetcharakhun, spokesman for the attorney-general, asked the national police chief to stop the eight police officers suspected in the online gambling case threatening two high-level prosecutors.