The Police Commission has voted 12-0 to endorse the order by Acting National Police Chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet to remove Deputy Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn from the police service.
The commission spent two hours discussing the issue, after the Council of State, the government’s legal advisor, ruled that the removal order was illegitimate.
Yesterday, Surachate submitted a petition to recently-reinstated national police chief, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, seeking to revoke the acting police chief’s order of April 18, removing him from police service, after he had been charged with collusion in money laundering in connection with the BNK Master online gambling network.
Also on April 18, Pol Gen Kitrat issued an order transferring Surachate back to the Royal Thai Police from PM’s Office before issuing another order dismissing him from the service.
Both Surachate and Torsak were ordered transferred to the PM’s Office by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin March over the conflict between them.
After leaving the Police Commission meeting, the prime minister told the media that the Police Commission Secretary-General will hold a press briefing about the meeting today.
Pol Gen Surachate has been fighting for his reinstatement as the deputy police chief, which would have paved the way for him to become the next police chief, as he is the most senior deputy police chief.
He has also threatened to sue the prime minister, Pol Gen Kitrat, Pol Gen Torsak and retired deputy police chief Pol Gen Winai Thongsong if he is not reinstated.
File photo : Deputy Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn
