The Royal Thai Police (RTP) Office’s inspector-general will likely take 15 days to identify who will face a disciplinary investigation over the truck sticker bribery scandal.
Pol Gen Visanu Prasartthong-osoth said an inquiry is being conducted by his office, with Pol Lt Gen Ditsapoj Issarangkul Na Ayutthaya, acting deputy inspector-general, as its lead.
It will take 15 days before it is clear who will face a disciplinary probe, he said.
Recently, Move Forward Party (MFP) MP-elect Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn alleged that operators of overloaded trucks paid bribes for special stickers to exempt them from weight checks along the road.
Pol Maj Gen Ekkaraj Limsangkat, commander of the Highway Police Division, has been transferred to an inactive post at the Central Investigation Bureau following the allegation.
Pol Gen Visanu said truck operators who comply with the law would not face harassment or inconvenience. He was apparently referring to cases of extortion, in which drivers who refused to pay were subject to frequent stops by police.
Pol Lt Gen Ditsapoj said his panel is collecting additional information to determine who was involved in the alleged bribery because the information supplied by Mr Wiroj did not identify witnesses.
“We’re gathering further information to identify people involved or witnesses,” he said. “It won’t take long. Initially, we found 46 types of stickers that may be linked to the bribery scandal.”
About 40 highway police, transferred to the Highway Police Division’s operations centre for their alleged involvement in the case, yesterday reported for assignment.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Counter Corruption Division chief, said the officers, facing charges of malfeasance, would be investigated by a committee.