Former Police Deputy Faces Charges in Gold Bribery Case
Former Deputy Police Commissioner Pol. Gen. Suresat Hakkhapal was formally charged July 6 over allegations he solicited gold from a National Anti-Corruption Commission official investigating him for illegal gambling profits.
An independent investigation committee established by the Supreme Court President formally charged former Deputy Police Commissioner Pol. Gen. Suresat Hakkhapal and three others on July 6 over misconduct allegations stemming from claims that Ekavit Watchwalkul, a National Anti-Corruption Commission official, solicited 246 baht in gold from the general while the NACC investigated him for illegal online gambling profits.
After leaving the Supreme Court at 2:20 p.m., Pol. Gen. Suresat and his lawyer Sanyaphat Samart told media that details would be provided through counsel. Sanyaphat explained they attended to receive formal notification of charges—the first official notification after previous information came only from media reports. He stated a written response would be submitted August 5, with formal witness examination scheduled for August 27.
Sanyaphat raised concerns about the case being prosecuted in two separate venues despite stemming from the same incident. Police referred the case to the Anti-Corruption Office and it was escalated through Parliament to establish the independent committee. He questioned whether the same case would be handled differently in future proceedings and whether dual prosecution sets a problematic precedent.
Regarding reports that the committee voted 9-0 to press charges, the lawyer suggested this should not prejudge the outcome, noting that while some allegations align with media reports, not all claims are accurate. Pol. Gen. Suresat continues to deny involvement in bribery but declined to elaborate further to protect the case.
