Former Songkhla police chief files criminal complaint against well-known lawyer and deceased officer for blackmail, accusing them of extortion and media manipulation to force payments of between ฿5-20 million in 2018-2019. No money was paid, and the cases were eventually dismissed.
A former police chief in Songkhla on Thursday filed a criminal complaint against a well-known lawyer in the province, accusing him and a now-deceased police officer of extortion and blackmail. Police Colonel Surapong Kittithirangkun gave a statement to an investigator at Thung Tam Sao Police Station. The alleged offences occurred between August 2018 and April 2019. In both cases, police officers were targeted with media shaming, disciplinary inquiries and court proceedings if they failed to make payments ranging from ฿5 million to ฿20 million. Despite no money being paid and the cases against them being dismissed, the senior policeman is presently seeking justice for the anguish and trauma inflicted.
The soft underbelly of the legal and crime worlds, particularly in Thailand’s south, was again laid bare this week. It came following the filing of a case against a now-deceased police officer and a well-known lawyer in Songkhla.
On Thursday, October 17, a former Superintendent of Police, Police Colonel Surapong Kittithirangkun, filed a criminal complaint at Thung Tam Sao Police Station, in the Hat Yai District of the province.
In short, he specified two counts of extortion, one of which involved himself. Certainly, both incidents occurred between August 2018 and April 2019.
Songkhla lawyer and deceased officer accused of extortion, fraud, and damaging an officer’s career
Firstly, there was a case of a Police Lieutenant who was left facing a disciplinary panel of enquiry. He had previously arrested a suspect on drug charges, and a urine test on the suspect showed she had taken drugs. However, the case was later dropped by a local prosecutor.
After that, the well-known lawyer and a Police Lieutenant Colonel, the deceased officer, stepped in. They alleged that the arrested officer, then serving at Hat Yai Police Station, had harmed the suspect. In addition, they brought fraud charges against the officer, leading to an internal investigation panel.
In the meantime, the officer was told that if he paid ฿5 million, both civil and criminal proceedings against him would be terminated. However, they insisted that a first instalment of the amount had to be paid before they would halt the news stories and stop cooperating with the police inquiry.
Police officer refuses extortion attempt, court later dismisses both criminal and civil cases against him
At length, the police officer refused and stood his ground. Consequently, he faced both criminal and civil proceedings. Luckily for him, the court dismissed both cases.
The second case involved Police Colonel Surapong. The former police chief became embroiled in a case where he was accused of adultery. At the same time, the well-known Songkhla lawyer emerged with the now-deceased Police Lieutenant Colonel.
Certainly, this case also involved media reporting, and the lawyer and policeman involved appeared to have influence. They demanded ฿10-20 million from Police Colonel Surapong.
In turn, they promised that media reporting on his case would cease, thus avoiding further embarrassment and shame. Police Colonel Surapong was told the money would be paid to reporters, the high-profile lawyer, and the Police Lieutenant Colonel with whom he worked.
That case was also subsequently dismissed in court.
Former police chief files extortion and blackmail complaint against well-known lawyer and late policeman
Last Thursday, Police Colonel Surapong said that his evidence showed there were two counts of extortion and blackmail. This was against him and an officer serving as a patrol leader at Hat Yai Police Station in 2018/2019.
Following the submission of his statement, the investigator at Thung Tam Sao Police Station accepted it as evidence. The matter will now be processed as a potential criminal case.
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Afterwards, Police Colonel Surapong revealed that the high-profile Songkhla lawyer was previously disciplined by a Lawyers Council Ethics Committee over his behaviour. This is related to Colonel Surapong’s own case.
In brief, the council found that reporting on the facts of the alleged adultery case before it had been established by a court was an ethical violation.
In short, an alleged defendant had been publicly named and shamed before anything was proven in court.
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