The Royal Thai Police on Tuesday released video and audio evidence in the high-profile bribery case involving former deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, following an allegation made by a former aide.
Pol Gen Surachate has been accused of ordering the delivery of gold bars totalling 246 baht in weight (3.7 kilogrammes, worth 16 million baht at current prices) to a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) overseeing an investigation into allegations made against the officer.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Piwphan, the deputy inspector-general of the police, provided more details on the case during a briefing on Tuesday in Bangkok.
He said that Pol Col Phakphum Phisamai, a former aide to Pol Gen Surachate, claimed he had to deliver the gold bars to the anti-graft official at the offices of the Southern Thai Association on Kanchanaphisek Road in Bangkok on Sept 1, 2024.
Pol Col Phakphum later submitted video and audio of the exchange, along with other related evidence, to the police.
The recordings captured the moment when the gold was handed over to the bodyguard of the NACC commissioner, whose name has not been divulged. The commissioner’s car was also seen in the video.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong said the bars were embossed with a special symbol, enabling police to trace their origin and obtain a receipt for the gold.
He said Pol Gen Surachate had ordered his aide to obtain the gold from a man who is now accused of offering a bribe.
The bribery accusation is the latest in a number of allegations against Pol Gen Surachate, who was fired without a pension in March last year for his alleged links to BNKMaster, an online gambling network.
The former deputy chief has denied the allegations, saying they were concocted by rivals on the force to block his path to the police chief’s position.
He has been sidelined since August 2024 when a royal command was issued to remove him from the force, on the recommendation of the Police Commission.
