Ex-police chief accuses lawyer and dead cop of extortion

A former chief of police in the southern province of Songkhla filed a lawsuit against a lawyer and a dead cop for extorting more than 10 million baht from him and another police officer in August 2018 and April 2019.

The former superintendent of a local police station in Songkhla, Police Colonel Surapong Kittithirangkul, complained to the lawyer, identified as Ch., and the late Police Captain W. at Thung Tam Sao Police Station in the Hat Yai district yesterday, October 17.

Surapong divided the extortion into two cases. The first case involved the former head of the patrol officers at Hat Yai Police Station in August 2018, and the second case involved himself in April 2019.

In the first case, Surapong explained that the head of the patrol officers arrested a Thai man after drugs were found in his system. However, the prosecutor dismissed the case, allowing the suspect to avoid legal punishment.

Following this, lawyer Ch. and Police Captain W. accused the patrol police head of issuing a false charge against the man. This matter gained significant attention from the media and local community, leading to a thorough investigation into the patrol officer.

The lawyer and the deceased police officer then demanded 5 million baht from the patrol police head in exchange for halting the legal proceedings and ending the media coverage. However, the patrol police head refused to pay and chose to proceed with the legal process, which ultimately led to the court dismissing the case.

In the second case, which Surapong experienced personally, he explained that he was sued for alleged adultery. The lawyer and the deceased police officer then leaked the matter to the media and public, even though he maintained his innocence and the case was still under investigation.

The lawyer and Police Captain W. demanded between 10 and 20 million baht from Surapong to put an end to the situation. He had not paid the amount by the time the court dismissed the case, clearing him of any wrongdoing.

Although these incidents occurred a few years ago, and one of the officers has since passed away, Surapong still wishes for both to be charged for conspiring to extort another person.

Tung Tham Sao Police Station has accepted the complaint and has promised to handle the case justly for all parties involved.