The investigators, led by Army Col Thawattchai Tabtimsanguan, spent about two hours on Monday (Dec 28) questioning the witnesses. Also present was Deputy Director of Phuket Internal Security Force Capt Sathaporn Wajrat of the Royal Thai Navy.
Questioned were Lt Col Sompop Kamkana, who is the Royal Thai Navy officer threatened while leading the raid, which was carried out on a house in suburban Chalong on December 7. (See story here.)
During the raid, Col Sompop received a phone call in which an Army colonel allegedly warned him to stop the raid – or else be transferred out of the province by “powerful friends”. (See story here.)
Col Sompop reported the threat to his superior officers, and the report was passed on to Phuket Governor Charoen Thipayapongtada.
Also questioned yesterday were two Royal Thai Navy security personnel as well Phuket Provincial Defense Office Chief Sivach Rawangkul and Deputy Chief Jiradech Burarak, and Chalong Police Chief Inspector Pol Lt Col Anant Anutwesarat – all of whom were present at the raid.
“The investigators have finished questioning their witnesses and will report back to the Army Region 4 base, where the colonel involved is posted.” said Capt Sathaporn.
“I think will take one or two days before they decide on any action and I have been told that they will be fair to all sides,” he added.
However, the Army colonel involved, who has yet to be publicly named, accepted that he said “some bad words” on the telephone during the raid, The Phuket News was told.
“He said he was angry because they arrested his cousin, who he said was not involved with the gambling interrupted at the house,” a source told The Phuket News.
“He said he just tried to ask them to release his cousin who was not involved with the gambling, but they did not believe me,” the source said.
Col Sompop reiterated that he and the officers who carried out the raid group were following orders from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to crack down on influential figures and gambling.
“Right now they (the investigation panel) has concluded their investigation. Everything is now up to the Army investigators and his commanding officer. We have done what we can do already,” he said.
Additional reporting by Saroj Kueprasertkij