Sukhothai official arrested over alleged bribe for job placements

Police apprehended a local administrative organisation leader in Sukhothai for allegedly accepting bribes to facilitate job placements for residents’ relatives, only to fail to secure the promised positions. The accused admitted to the charges but claimed to have refunded the money.

Following orders from Deputy Commissioner Jaruengkiat Pankaew, Police Major General Prasong Chalampin, and Colonel Sanuwong Kongkain, the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) arrested Narong (surname withheld), a local administrative organisation leader in Sukhothai yesterday, September 12.

The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Region 6 on charges of actions against public peace or safety, neglecting to perform duties, or performing duties improperly.

The incident traces back to 2016 when Narong, then serving as the local administrative organisation leader, was accused of soliciting money from a resident in exchange for securing a job position for the resident’s relative within the local administration.

Narong allegedly demanded 50,000 baht as a processing fee but failed to deliver on his promise to secure the job placement. The aggrieved party subsequently filed a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), leading to an investigation and the issuance of an arrest warrant.

During the interrogation, Narong confessed to accepting the money but claimed that he returned the full amount upon realising he could not fulfil the job placement as promised. He expressed surprise at being reported and subsequently arrested. The police have since handed Narong over to the NACC for further legal proceedings.

“I did accept the money. However, when I couldn’t secure the position as promised, I returned the entire sum. I didn’t expect this to lead to my arrest.”

The investigation revealed that Narong’s actions had violated public trust and disrupted the local administration’s integrity. The police emphasised their commitment to cracking down on corruption at all levels to maintain public confidence in the administrative system, reported KhaoSod.