Warrant for Big Joke’s arrest
The Criminal Court has approved an arrest warrant for embattled deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn for alleged collusion in the laundering of proceeds from online gambling.
Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) i nvestigators filed t he request for an arrest warrant yesterday morning.
Pol Gen Surachate, also known as “Big Joke”, is accused of colluding in money laundering and using his position as a state official to collude in money laundering in violation of sections 5, 9 and 10 of the AntiMoney Laundering Act.
Pol Maj Gen Thinnakorn Rangmart, deputy MPB chief, was at the court but did not speak to reporters.
At about 4pm yesterday, the court approved an arrest warrant for Pol Gen Surachate.
The court said it had been presented with sufficient evidence to support the request for an arrest warrant. It noted that the subject of the warrant had evaded police summonses and that the case was within the court’s authority.
Earlier on March 12, the court approved warrants for the arrest of three police officers and a civilian for their suspected involvement in money laundering in connection with the BNK Master gambling website.
They were identified as Pol Col Kittichai Sangkhathaworn, Pol Sgt Natthawut Wadwaew, Pol Sgt Natthanan Chuchak, and Napansakorn Haekerd. The court also approved a summons for Pol Gen Surachate.
Investigators later issued three separate summonses for the deputy national police chief to report for questioning but failed to deliver them.
There were reports that Pol Gen Surachate had submitted a letter to the chief justice of the Criminal Court to ask if there was a request to approve a warrant for his arrest.
The letter also said that his subordinate, Pol Lt Col Krit Pariyaket, had also sent a letter to the Department of Special Investigation, asking the DSI to take over the investigation of his case from Tao Poon police station.
Pol Lt Col Krit was accused of colluding to launder the proceeds of a crime and money laundering in connection with a gambling network.