DSI accused of malfeasance

Officer says he was tricked into testifying

Post Reporters

A police officer yesterday lodged a complaint against a spokesman for the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), accusing him of malfeasance in probing a gun robbery case in Narathiwat in 2004.

Jaruwat Pahumanto, deputy inspector of Tourist Police subdivision 1, took his complaint to Parinya Chantsuriya, head of a task force against corruption in state agencies under the Royal Thai Police.

Pol Capt Jaruwat accused DSI spokesman Piyawat Kingket of malpractice and violation of the DSI Act in summoning him as a witness in relation to the 2004 gun robbery at Narathiwat's military unit in which police held five Muslim suspects, who were later represented by human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit.

The lawyer, who went missing soon after he took up the case, said police committed brutal acts against the suspects during their interrogation, which were aimed at forcing them to confess.

The suspects, later freed after the Office of the Attorney-General dropped the robbery charges, lodged complaints against their interrogators including assistant police chief Panupong Singhara na Ayudhya, together with other officers. The case has been sent to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

However, Pol Capt Jaruwat said he was summoned as a witness because he was on duty in Narathiwat at the time and also involved in the arrest of the Muslim suspects.

He said he told the DSI at his first summons that he could not remember anything about the arrest as it took place a long time ago.

According to Pol Capt Jaruwat, Col Piyawat called him in again, saying it was about another case. However, he said that it was actually the same case and that this time it involved Pol Lt-Gen Panupong and his colleagues, who were accused of abusing the suspects.

Pol Capt Jaruwat said there was no abuse since the arrest and investigation process was observed by lawyers and central investigative officials and said he did not want to testify against his colleagues.

He alleged that the DSI's questioning of him was not conducted in the presence of a prosecutor as required by Article 32 of the DSI Act. He also accused investigators of asking leading questions and said the written statement of his testimony was not accurate.

Pol Maj-Gen Parinya said he would consider Pol Capt Jaruwat's complaint before sending it to the NCCC.

Meanwhile, violence continued in the restive region.

In the early hours of yesterday, 16 people were injured, four seriously, when attackers threw grenades into an Islamic religious centre in tambon Gatong of Yaha district at around 4.30am.

About 150 people were attending pre-dawn prayers at the centre which sustained structural damage. Four pick-up trucks outside were destroyed. A mosque one kilometre away was also attacked but nobody was harmed.

In Narathiwat, five military officers in Bacho district were injured in a roadside bomb attack.

In Yala, eight schools, four in Yaha and four in Bannang Sata were set ablaze. A teacher's house and two health stations were also torched in Bannang Sata.

The arson attacks occurred between 9pm and 11pm on Wednesday.

A pick-up truck was also set alight at a tambon administration organisation office in Bannang Sata. A 9pm to 4am curfew has been in force in Bannang Sata and Yaha since March 16.

Bangkok Post

Friday April 06, 2007