A Notorious Secret: The Downfall of a Police Superintendent in Pathum Thani
Former high-ranking police officer apprehended for alleged fraudulent activities.
Looks like a prominent figure from Pathum Thani, Thailand has met his downfall. Pol Col Chaiwat, former superintendent of a local police station, found himself in hot water due to an alleged embezzlement scandal that's been brewing since 2020!
The authorities, in the form of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), finally nabbed this elusive fugitive last Wednesday. A warrant for his arrest had been issued by the Region 1 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases a year ago, but he managed to stay under the radar until now.
So, what led to this high-profile arrest? Well, let's delve into the murky waters of this case.
In 2020, while serving at the Lat Lum Kaeo provincial police station, our man, Pol Col Chaiwat, decided to set up a swath of checkpoints throughout the area. Seems innocent enough, right? Wrong! The Action Citizenship for People (Acp) later found some inconsistencies in the budget allocation for these checkpoints.
You see, the Pathum Thani Provincial Police approved an allowance payment of a whopping 283,176 baht for officers involved in these operations. However, Pol Col Chaiwat decided to play fast and loose with the rules. Instead of distributing the funds as intended, he ordered the allowances be handed to him for distribution. Talk about mishandling public funds!
This isn't why you become a superintendent, is it? In this instance, Pol Col Chaiwat kept a substantial sum of 262,676 baht for himself while disbursing only a measly 20,500 baht to his subordinates. Yikes!
With the evidence stacked against him, Pol Col Chaiwat was taken to face the music at the NACC headquarters after his arrest, where he admitted to being the individual named in the warrant. Talk about afalls from grace!
The arrest was given the green light by none other than NACC secretary-general Saroj Phungramphan, with assistance from NACC Region 1 assistant secretary-general Chadarat Anakaorn and their team. Let this be a lesson to all corrupt public officials—the long arm of the law is always watching!
- Despite being a general-news topic and a significant figure in Pathum Thani politics, Pol Col Chaiwat, the former superintendent, was involved in a crime-and-justice issue, specifically an embezzlement scandal.
- During his tenure at the Lat Lum Kaeo provincial police station, Pol Col Chaiwat, with questionable motives, withheld substantial funds meant for officers involved in checkpoint operations.
- The withheld funds, amounting to 262,676 baht, were supposed to be distributed to the officers, but Pol Col Chaiwat kept most of it, leaving only a small fraction for his subordinates (20,500 baht).
- The revelation of this embezzlement case and Pol Col Chaiwat's subsequent arrest have sent ripples through the criminal-and-justice and politics spheres, serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of misconduct in public office.
