Police escort five suspects linked to the Mae
Hong Son |prostitution scandal from Bangkok’s Thung Song Hong Police
Station to Ratchadapisek Criminal Court to apply for the first 12-day
detention period yesterday morning.
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District chiefs fear offical meddling in probe
THE
FEDERATION of Assistant District Chiefs of Thailand filed a petition at
Government House yesterday for Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha
to use his absolute power under Article 44 of the interim constitution
to deal with civil servants involved in the Mae Hong Son underage
prostitution scandal.
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The group, led by federation chairman
Boonyarit Nipawanit, claimed that the use of normal laws would cause
delays and might risk interference by local influential figures. He
urged authorities to punish supervisors who were guilty of dereliction
of duty or negligence allowing such crimes to take place, as well as
officials directly involved in the racket or patronising underage
prostitutes. They said that if the case was tackled seriously it could
lead to the end of the unofficial tradition of sex services being
offered to senior officials. Lawyer Kerdpol Kaewkerd, who represented
victims of the prostitution ring and accompanied Boonyarit yesterday,
said the government should expedite legal action in the case as there
had been attempts to interfere with the work of police investigators by
trying to tamper with evidence and witnesses who were not being provided
protection.
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Kerdpol said that if the investigation was prolonged the victims
might lose interest in fighting the case as they would feel that they
would not receive justice.
Meanwhile, Phrae deputy governor Wirun Panthewee said he had been at a
party to welcome Suebsak Iamwichan last year as he took his position as
Mae Hong Son governor, adding the festivities were normal without any
suspicious activity.
Suebsak is being questioned by an Interior
Ministry disciplinary panel over his alleged involvement in the case
although he maintains that he was innocent.
Wirun urged the
public to not spread rumours about Mae Hong Son people or treat accused
officials including Suebsak unfairly unless they are proven guilty.
Meanwhile, five human-trafficking suspects allegedly involved in the
prostitution ring were brought to Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek Criminal
Court yesterday to apply for their first 12-day detention period pending
police investigation.
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Police opposed their release on bail on the grounds that the case
carried a heavy punishment and there was a risk of them tampering with
evidence and witnesses.
Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD)
chief Pol Maj Gen Kornchai Klayklueng told a yesterday press conference
that he believed all involved in human trafficking crime in the ring
were already identified – as per the teenage girl’s mother’s testimony
that the racket had eight teams under suspect Pol Senior Sgt Major
Yutthachai Thongchat.
Kornchai said local police had 36
complaints and arrested three police officers wanted for the charge of
gang rape of a minor, while AHTD had one case with eight suspects, all
in custody. He affirmed police would check all points including the
identity and involvement of a man called Uncle Pan whose Line chat
leakage led to the complaint.
He said the lie detection device use on victims or suspects were to show sincerity and required them to sign consents first.
To a witness’s claim a man resembled governor took a girl under 18 to
have sex on the night of welcoming party last year, he said it was a
heresy, not a direct testimony of the girl in question hence the girl
should file the complaint to have police probed it.
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Scrutiny of Mae Hong Son suspects
Group 1
The three suspects in custody for whom a court issued arrest warrants
on charges including conspiracy to commit human trafficking to benefit
from prostitution. They include Pol Senior Sgt-Major Yutthachai
Thongchat of Mae Hong Son’s Nam Piang Din Police Station, who was
dismissed from the civil service.
Group 2
The five suspects in custody on charges including conspiracy to commit
human trafficking to benefit from prostitution. They are one 30-year-old
man and four women aged from 22 to 40.
Group 3
Three police officer suspects attached to Kong Koi police station in
Mae Hong Son’s Sop Moei district facing charges of gang rape of a minor
linked to the prostitution ring. They have also been dismissed from the
civil service due to the alleged breach of discipline.
Group 4
The five police suspects and one public school teacher accused of
buying sex services from the prostitution ring. Previous police
applications for arrest warrants were turned down twice on the grounds
that they were civil servants with known addresses and were not a flight
risk. The court suggested that summonses be issued for them instead.
Group 5
Police are trying to locate six men, including two military officers, a
public health official and a district highway official, who are accused
of buying sexual services from the prostitution ring.
Persons of interest
Mae Hong Song governor Suebsak Iamwichan is being questioned by an Interior Ministry panel over his alleged involvement.
The mother of one of the victims this week has also filed a complaint
with the Crime Suppression Division against Mae Hong Song police chief
Pol Maj-General Preecha imonchaijit, Muang Mae Hong Son precinct
superintendent Somkiat Sawngsuk and other officers who served on a
disciplinary panel reviewing Yutthachai’s behaviour.
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Source - TheNation
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