11 July 2024

Thailand’s Former Immigration Bureau Commissioner, Pol Lt-Gen Surachet Hakparn, lodged a complaint with the Central Administrative Court today, accusing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of abuse of power when ordering his transfer to an inactive post in the PM’s Office

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Mr. Sitthi Ngarmlamyuang, Surachet’s lawyer, told the media today (Tuesday) that it has been one year and five months since the former immigration chief was transferred and yet no panel has been set up to investigate him.

Moreover, he said that the Prime Minister ordered Surachet’s transfer without an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission or the Office of the Auditor-General.

The lawyer said that Surachet was forced to take the post of an advisor at the PM’s Office and he has the right to be reinstated, if there are no good grounds for his original transfer, adding that Surachet has petitioned the Prime Minister for a review of his transfer, but to no avail and, therefore, he has to resort to the courts for justice.

He claimed that most of the 90 officials transferred to the PM’s Office have been reinstated after they were cleared of wrongdoing.