‘Ponzi scam cop’ discharged

Police human resources office deputy commissioner Pol Maj Gen Suthip Palitkusolthat has been temporarily discharged from active service, as he faces fraud charges over allegations that he swindled 229 million baht from 192 police officers in Loei province.

Deputy national police commissioner Rungroj Sangkram signed an order to discharge Pol Maj Gen Suthip on Friday, according to human resources office commissioner Pol Lt Gen Thanat Wongsuwan yesterday.

The move came after investigators from Provincial Police Region 4 decided to press fraud charges against Pol Maj Gen Suthip.

Pol Lt Gen Thanat said his office has also formed a fact-finding panel.

He added that before the discharge order was given, he did not task Pol Maj Gen Suthip with his usual assignments, and that his deputy kept telling him that he would try to return the money to the victims.

Meanwhile, a police source said Pol Gen Rungroj also signed an order to temporarily discharge Pol Col Chalerm Yodprathum, chief of Nong Bua Lam Phu Police’s operation centre, from active service, as he is also implicated in the fraud.

The discharge was meant to facilitate the investigation into the case, the source noted.

The Royal Thai Police has also formed a panel to probe the disciplinary breaches allegedly committed by the two officers, the source added.

The fraud began when Pol Maj Gen Suthip was the chief of Loei police and chairman of the Loei police cooperative.

He allegedly persuaded local policemen to borrow from the cooperative to clear their debts with various creditors. He also offered to manage the borrowed money, repay their outstanding debts, and promised them monthly investment returns of about 5,000 baht.

The 192 policemen believed him and transferred the money to Pol Maj Gen Suthip, which had failed to pay the promised returns since January. As a result, the 192 policemen faced lawsuits from their creditors for defaulting on their loans.