Whistle-blower Chuwit toots against online gambling
Piper at the gates of dawn blasts PM's failures
Whistle-blower Chuwit Kamolvisit has been tooting on his flute again. The ex-MP, ex-emperor of sleaze and current arch-nemesis of organised crime throughout the kingdom, has been blowing off that PM Prayut failed to honour two promises made when he seized power eight years ago. It’s anyone’s guess how Chuwit choose a particular two from the wide variety available, but he did.
According to Chuwit, Prayut failed to eliminate online gambling. True, but… And corruption, especially among the police. Also true, but…
Without resorting to Wikipedia, it seems likely that every Thai leader since Manopakorn Nitithada in the 1930s has promised these things. Probably alongside strong leadership, integrity, and hard work.
When Prayut toppled Yingluck in 2014, he promised to wipe out corruption and crack down on gambling, the former politician and massage parlour overlord reminded his followers.
Prayut has done nothing to eliminate corruption by police, Chuwit moaned. They are still taking bribes, allowing online gambling to thrive. Chinese triads are operating in Thailand because of corruption at the Immigration Bureau, he added.
Channelling the spirit of former United States President Donald Trump, in a late-night keyboard assault Chuwit said…
“The prime minister has been in power for eight years following the power seizure for which he cited corruption as a cause. He has absolute power like Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkham in the past, but he didn’t act to wipe out or lessen corruption. Instead, he has become a part of the system of nepotism that continues without doing anything.”
Strong words indeed, but who expected anything else? Running Thailand is a lot more challenging than running baths for horny sex tourists, or at least it should be.
According to the Nation, by noon Wednesday, the post had been “liked” more than 9,000 times, shared over 50 times, and received more than 500 comments.
Chuwit is certainly putting a lot of effort into his battle against bent cops. He organised a press conference in Bangkok for the Singaporean friend of a Taiwanese actress who paid a 27,000-baht (US$800) bribe at a Bangkok checkpoint last month.
Chuwit said rightly that online gambling has thrived in the past few years and claims that three key police agencies in charge of suppressing online crimes are being used for personal gain: the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, Cyber Crime Investigation Division 5, and the Police Cyber Taskforce.
The police who set up road checkpoints to extort money pass the biggest share on to their superiors. Money laundering and human trafficking suspects can buy their freedom by paying bribes to senior officials at various levels in the judicial system, whistle-blower Chuwit said.
