Phuket deputy mayors surrender to face taxi-mafia abuse of power charges

PHUKET: Four high-ranking officials, including two deputy mayors, have surrendered to police to face abuse of power charges in Phuket’s ongoing campaign to rid the island of taxi-mafia operators.

Kata-Karon Deputy Mayors Ithiporn Sangkeaw and Sompong Dabpetch surrendered themselves at Phuket Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town.

Director of the Kata-Karon Municipality Engineering Division Wanchai Sae-Tan and the Kata-Karon Municipality Chief Administrative Officer Weerasak Anekwongsawat also presented themselves to police.

The four surrendered as a large police task force was preparing for deployment to take them into custody, armed with arrest warrants charging the suspects with abusing their positions of power for personal gain.

All four denied the charges.

Maj Gen Paween Pongisirin, the Deputy Commander of Royal Thai Police Region 8 division who is spearheading the Phuket taxi mafia takedown, told the Phuket Gazette that all four officials will not be granted police bail.

— Woranut Pechdee