Pol Gen Srivara rebuked for punishing an officer who accepted a complaint against Premchai

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul was taken to task by political activist Srisuwan Janya for the punishment meted out against a Thong Pha Phum police inquiry officer for the handling of a charge against poaching suspect Premchai Karnasuta.

Pol Gen Srivara instructed police inquiry officers in Kanchanaburi to find out whether the Kanchanaburi livestock official who lodged a complaint of cruelty against animal against Mr Premchai had ill-gotten intention against the Italian-Thai Development Plc boss or not.

Narongchai Sangworawongsa, chief of Kanchanaburi animal quarantine station, filed the complaint against Mr Premchai with Pol Capt Sumit Bunyanij, an investigation inspector at Thong Pha Phum police station on Feb 7–two days after the ITD boss was arrested in Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary with wild animal carcasses.

However, Mr Narongchai returned to the police station on Feb 21 to withdraw the animal cruelty complaint against Mr Premchai after he found out that wild animals are not defined as “animals” in the context of the  Cruelty Against Animals Act.

Pol Cpt Sumit, the duty officer accepting the complaint, was also placed under probation for dereliction of duty.

Mr Srisuwan, secretary-general of the Thai Constitution Protection Association, pointed out yesterday (March 1) that accepting a complaint by the police or withdrawing a complaint was a normal incident which takes place every day at police stations throughout the country.

He said if Gen Srivara really means business on this issue, police inquiry officers throughout the country would have been placed under probation.

“Why only Mr Premchai’s case?” he asked.

He went on saying that Pol Gen Srivara’s action would serve to ruin the morale of hard-working policemen.

The unfair punishment meted out against Pol Cpt Sumit reflected the complete failure of police reform, said Mr Srisuwan.

Meanwhile, Pol Gen Srivara will today travel to Thong Pha Phum police station to follow up the progress of the investigation of the Thung Yai Naresuan poaching case against Mr Premchai and three other suspects.