Thai villagers seek justice over alleged police dereliction of duty

Samut Prakan, Thailand – Residents of the "Baan Om Thong" housing project have petitioned the National Police Inspector-General's Office, demanding an investigation into alleged dereliction of duty by police officers at the Bang Pu Police Station. The villagers claim that the police's undue delay and improper handling of a legal dispute have led to their unjust eviction and the seizure of their homes. On September 24, 2024, Ms. Sureeya Saengrod, a representative of the affected residents, visited the National Police Inspector-General's Office to follow up on a previous complaint filed on July 9, 2024 (Reference No. 1970). She requested an expedited investigation into the facts and disciplinary action against the Bang Pu police investigators and their superiors for allegedly procrastinating and acting improperly. Ms. Sureeya stated that the justice process at the local level has been suspiciously delayed. The aggrieved residents had filed a criminal complaint under Section 157 of the Criminal Code against the opposing party and requested the case be transferred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for investigation. However, investigators at the Bang Pu Police Station allegedly neglected their duties and sent the case file to the Samut Prakan Provincial Prosecutor's Office with a "recommendation for non-prosecution." Subsequently, the Samut Prakan Provincial Prosecutor's Office returned the investigation file, clearly stating that the Bang Pu police investigators did not have the authority to investigate or order such cases concerning malfeasance in office. The office instructed the Bang Pu Police Station to forward the case to the NACC promptly. "If the police officers had followed the law and sent the case to the NACC from the beginning, the corruption case would have entered the central investigation process immediately. However, the delay and the recommendation for non-prosecution, despite lacking authority, created an opening for the opposing party to use a flawed contract to unjustly evict villagers and seize their homes," Ms. Sureeya explained. "If the villagers had not come to follow up themselves at the central level, the case would have been prolonged until they lost all their homes." Ms. Sureeya emphasized that this visit to the National Police Inspector-General's Office is not an act of harassment but a pursuit of justice. The findings of the investigation and disciplinary actions from the Inspector-General's Office will be used as crucial evidence in the formal investigation proceedings with the NACC, the Crime Suppression Division (CIB), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and other relevant agencies. This aims to ultimately prosecute the case under Section 157 and extend the investigation to seize assets involved in money laundering. Source: INN News