Fountain of wisdom – Chuwit’s leaking dismays cops
An unnamed senior police officer is believed to have leaked information on the Jinling nightclub case to supergrass Chuwit Kamolvisit. Chuwit’s leaking has been a source of great frustration to officers investigating Chinese organised crime in the kingdom, according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Thiti Saengsawang said on Friday that an investigation had begun after evidence was found that a police colonel within the agency had been providing confidential information to whistleblower Chuwit.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin praised Chuwit for his alleged courage in providing information about the activities of Chinese drug networks. Somsak praised the Hong Kong-born businessman during a meeting to discuss the seizure of assets from those involved in the drug trade. Chuwit stands to be rewarded with 5% of any assets received following his tipoffs, an amount he will donate to the nation’s hospitals.
A police raid on the nightclub in Bangkok’s Yannawa district in October 2022 netted 104 revellers, 99 of whom were Chinese, who tested positive for drugs. The following month, Chuwit submitted several documents to the Justice Ministry on alleged Chinese “triads” operating in Thailand and using the nightclub as a base, and, in particular, the illicit dealings of Chaiyanat Kornchayanant, known as Tuhao.
On Tuesday, Chuwit posted on Facebook CCTV footage from the nightclub on the night it was raided. In his post, he claimed that police had failed to collect evidence of drugs being sold at the club. He also questioned the transparency of the investigation.
Thiti said the footage and other documents that Chuwit had shown to the media are confidential evidence and may have been leaked by a senior officer responsible for the case. If found guilty, the police colonel will be charged with sabotaging a police investigation, the bureau chief added.
