A deputy traffic inspector, attached to a police station in Nonthaburi province, was ordered transferred to the operations centre, effective Monday, pending an investigation into an allegation that he took a bribe from a driver in exchange for not issuing a traffic ticket.
The immediate transfer of Pol Lt Wiroj Katesema, a deputy traffic inspector attached to Rattanathibet police station, was ordered transferred, by Pol Maj-Gen Pratthana Phaenpha, the Nonthaburi provincial police commander, after a video clip was posted on the “Social Hunter 2022” webpage yesterday, asking whether paying a traffic fine in cash with no traffic ticket is a new way to pay fines?
The video clip, purportedly showing the alleged bribe, features a man and a woman talking to a police officer, later identified as Wiroj, in the police kiosk at Phong Phet intersection. The conversation lasted about two minutes and then the woman placed a 100-baht banknote on the table in the kiosk. Subsequently, the driver’s license was returned to the driver.
Wiroj has, however, denied that he took bribe from the driver, claiming that he didn’t see the money on the table.
A fact-finding panel has been set up to investigate the incident and it will report in three days.
