Embattled deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, called a press conference today to declare his innocence, after he was among five police officers charged by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) for allegedly extorting money from an illegal online gambling network.

He disclosed that, after his house was searched on September 25th last year in connection with the “Minny” online gambling network investigation, he and his four subordinates were charged with extortion, but he has not yet been summoned to acknowledge the charge.

The case is also being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), related to alleged malfeasance in office, in accordance with Section 157 of the Criminal Code, but the CIB has asked for the case to be returned to them for further investigation.

Surachate said he suspects that the charges against him are intended to discredit him, adding that the NACC has not yet filed any charges against him, after having accepted the case for investigation.

The Minnie online gambling network is reported to have had about 300 million baht transferred into its coffers from numerous “mule” bank accounts.

Surachate said that, by law, if the online gambling network has about 300 million baht in its coffers, the case should come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Special Investigation.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj-Gen Jaroonkiat Pankeaw, CIB deputy commissioner, who is in charge of the Minnie case, said that he was assigned by the national police chief to handle the investigation, as deputy chief of a special team which has nothing to do with the CIB.

He explained that he wants the case to be returned, from the NACC to his team, because it is related to another Minnie gambling case, in which 61 people are implicated, including eight police officers.