Bangkok: "Big Tao" has announced plans to seek court-issued arrest warrants for 10 civil servants implicated in alleged corruption at the Phunabdao Agricultural Land Reform Office. He also refuted reports about a transfer to the Metropolitan Police Bureau, affirming his commitment to his current role and ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Col. Charoonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, convened a meeting to assess the investigation's progress into officials from the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO). The inquiry focuses on suspicious land title deeds that possibly benefited capitalists encroaching on the Phu Nub Dao forest in Muak Lek District, Saraburi Province. The meeting, which included representatives from several agencies, lasted approximately two hours.
Pol. Lt. Col. Charoonkiat disclosed that preliminary findings indicate government officials engaged in corrupt practices constituting offenses, justifying the request for 10 arrest warrants. He emphasized that the investigation remains impartial, free from political influence, and uninfluenced by external directives.
Addressing rumors of a transfer from the Central Investigation Bureau to the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Charoonkiat stated that his superiors have clarified his continued position within the bureau to the National Police Commission. He reiterated that the Phu Nup Dao investigation is unrelated to these transfer speculations and assured that no pressure or obstruction has been exerted on him regarding the case. Charoonkiat urged honest civil servants not to be concerned, vowing to target only those undermining the organization or the nation.