Jumpol Manmai, a former deputy national police chief and ex-Grand Chamberlain of the Bureau of the Royal Household has died aged 72 following a lung infection.
It was reported that Jumpol, formerly a police general, passed away at Siriraj Hospital at 12.38am on Tuesday, having been hospitalised for the prior two months.
Born and raised in the northern province of Lampang, Jumpol graduated from Suankularb Wittayalai School and was an alumnus of Class 26 of the Royal Police Cadet Academy.
In 2010, Jumpol was among the candidates for the top post of national police chief. However, he was later appointed deputy national police chief during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.
In 2011, he was made Grand Chamberlain of the Bureau of the Royal Household. However six years later he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for en- croachment on almost 13 rai of land near public waterways in Thap Lan National Park in Wang Nam Khieo district, Nakhon Ratchasima province.
According to a police investigation, the plot of land was allegedly sold to Jumpol in 2011 by a senior police officer. Jumpol was then chief of Provincial Police Region 3, which oversees eight northeastern provinces including Nakhon Ratchasima.
The court also found him guilty of abuse of power and sentenced him to four years in jail. Confessions halved the jail terms to three years.
Reports said he had been treated for his illnesses after having been discharged from prison before passing away.