PUBLISHED : 31 Jul 2024 at 17:06
A senior public prosecutor was arrested at his office in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Wednesday for allegedly demanding and taking a bribe in exchange for dropping a case.
Police from the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) took Chartnarin Ketkamphon, 53, into custody at the Office of the Attorney-General’s (OAG) Nakhon Si Thammarat branch office about 11am.
They also impounded 150,000 baht, the alleged bribe money, as evidence. Mr Chartnarin served as chief prosecutor at the provincial prosecution office.
Mr Chartnarin was named in an arrest warrant issued by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on charges of taking a bribe as a state official, dereliction of duty and abuse of authority to obtain assets or benefits.
According to a police source, the accused provincial prosecutor had demanded a bribe of 200,000 baht from a person accused of the theft of a land title. He allegedly said he could get the cased dropped.
As the case was being considered by prosecutors at the time, the person he approached was afraid he would be persecuted if he refused to pay the money. He decided to hand over 50,000 baht as an advance payment to Mr Chartnarin.
He later consulted an official at the National Anti-Corruption Commission about the alleged bribe demand. This prompted an investigation, which led to an arrest warrant being obtained for chief prosecutor Chartnarin.
The complainant was due to pay the remaining 150,000 baht to Mr Chartnarin on Wednesday, so the investigators planned a sting operation. The prosecutor was arrested after the money was handed to him.
During questioning, Mr Chartnarin denied all charges.
OAG spokesman Prayut Phetcharakhun on Wednesday said the attorney-general had ordered Mr Chartnarin’s abrupt transfer and instructed OAG Region 8 chief Chatchai Jaidee to submit a speedy report on the case.
The allegation of bribery would inevitably rub off on the whole agency, the spokesman said. The OAG would take drastic action, both criminal and disciplinary, against the accused prosecutor. For now, it was awaiting the report from the regional office.
Wednesday’s operation was led by Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, secretary general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, along with Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, ACD commander Pol Maj Gen Prasong Chalermpan and Phumwisan Kasemsuk, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
Police seize 150,000 baht cash from the office room of senior public prosecutor Chartnarin Ketkamphon, accused of taking a bribe. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)