An unprecedented shooting that killed one police officer and left another wounded in Nakhon Pathom province has exposed ugly corruption in Thailand’s police force and public services in general.

According to investigators, 29 police officers were partying at the home of Praween Chanklai, a local subdistrict chief known as Kamnan Nok, on the night of September 6 when Praween’s close aide opened fire.

The target was Pol Major Siwakorn Saibua, who was murdered after allegedly rebuffing a request by Praween that his nephew be promoted.

A bullet also went astray in the shooting and wounded a policeman nearby.

With two officers lying bleeding in the compound of Praween’s home amid a phalanx of policemen, the surprise was that the gunman was left free to leave the scene. Even more shocking was that CCTV recordings showed Praween and his aide leaving the house with a police escort – and not in the direction of the nearby police station.

The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) was quick to condemn the case as clear proof of failure in a corruption-plagued bureaucratic system.

“Without good governance, dishonorable civil servants kowtow and become tools of influential figures,” the ACT said in a statement.

Swayed by cash?

The ongoing investigation shows that Praween’s aide had transferred money to at least five policemen, all of whom regularly visited the kamnan’s house. Each transfer was worth several thousand baht. Evidence also shows that as many as six policemen at the party may have helped Praween and his aide flee the scene safely.

The six officers have been charged with neglecting their duties, helping criminals, and destroying or hiding evidence. They are currently behind bars pending further investigation, and two have already been dismissed from duty.

One day after the fatal incident, Praween turned himself in but denied any wrongdoing. However, despite his plea of innocence and apparent wealth, he did not submit a bail request. Soon after his surrender, the aide accused of murder, Thananchai Manmak, was fatally shot during an exchange of fire with the police.

So far, the case has seen more than 20 police officers transferred from their posts pending investigation. Among them was Pol Colonel Wachira Yaothaisong, who was found dead in his home from apparent suicide on September 11.

Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn is leading the investigation and has vowed to dig deep and bring all of the culprits to justice. Siwakorn was killed after reportedly refusing to take bribes and transfer Praween’s relative, who happened to be in the police force.

The case has left Thais wondering what kind of power Praween wielded to be in a position to allegedly order the killing of a commissioned police officer in a party full of policemen.

Surachate commented that the police officers at the party could be divided into three groups – those who helped Praween and the gunman, those who fled out of fear, and those who rushed the wounded to the hospital. Wachira, the apparent suicide victim, belonged to the third group.

The ACT was damning in its verdict on the case.

“For years, those who refuse to bow down or cooperate have lost opportunities to advance in their career and faced harassment… But this time, a good cop was killed,” said ACT secretary-general Dr Mana Nimitmongkol.

‘Stop sale of lucrative police posts’

Mana told the Thai-language newspaper Thairath that some corrupt police officers made money from grey businesses and traffic bribes, while others reaped benefits from the sale of lucrative positions in the force.

“If you don’t stop the sale of positions within the police, these problems will continue,” Mana said.

Highly sought-after posts cost between 2 million and 10 million baht, he commented. High-ranking positions may fetch up to 40 million baht because they could earn the postholder vast wealth from grey businesses and bribes, Mana added.

Hence, the ACT has called on Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to honor his election pledge to promote transparency and justice as well as to fight corruption. It urged the government to eradicate corrupt patronage networks of politicians, influential figures, and grey businesses in the bureaucracy, warning that corrupt civil servants were prevailing at the expense of honest officials and the public interest.

Contract corruption behind kamnan’s wealth?

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has discovered that companies controlled by Praween have won a whopping 1,500-plus government projects since 2011.

“We suspect that at least 20 of the projects, each worth more than 30 million baht, were won via dubious means,” said a senior DSI official.

Among the suspicious projects are two highway construction schemes worth 300 million baht and 350 million baht. Both Siwakorn and Wachira were highway policemen at the time they joined the party at Praween’s house. While it is still unclear why they accepted the invitation, several retired police officers claimed officers were at the party to celebrate a colleague’s retirement on September 30, and not just for Kamnan Nok.

Bright side to scandal?

Mana told the Thai-language news website Thansettakij that the Kamnan Nok scandal and Siwakorn’s death could lead to huge benefits for the country if they inspire real crackdowns on grey businesses and “dark influences” at provincial levels.

“If the police, DSI, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Comptroller General’s Department work together to root out [corruption] in Nakhon Pathom, their operation could become a model for other provinces as well,” he said.

Bhumivisan Kasemsook, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), said corrupt civil servants involved in the case should confess now because nobody would protect them.

“Confessing will benefit you in the long run,” he said. “We are now putting together the jigsaw pieces and will go after whoever is involved.”

Surachate has also promised to leave no stone unturned and spare nobody, as all authorities were collaborating to solve the case. If there is evidence of tax evasion, assets will be seized in line with law, he added.

Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaised, meanwhile, is now in charge of compiling a list of dark influences nationwide to prevent mafia-style figures from flouting the law and hurting others.

“I’m working on it. I have already instructed provincial authorities to give me a list of influential figures in their areas. We will then check to see if they have done anything wrong,” he said.

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk