In the meanwhile, as an investigation into their alleged involvement in the overloaded truck bribe sticker incident is ongoing, about 40 highway police personnel are anticipated to be transferred to “inactive posts” at the Highways Police Division’s operations center.
In his capacity as acting commander of the Highways Police Division, Pol Maj-Gen Jaroonkiat Pankeaw of the Police Counter Corruption Division informed the media today (Thursday) that Pol Lt-Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej of the Central Investigation Bureau is anticipated to sign an order tomorrow (Friday) transferring the commissioned and non-commissioned officers out of the division.
Jaroonkiat remarked, “The highway police need to do some housecleaning.
The head of the Crime Victims Assistance Club, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, recently submitted a complaint with the police asking them to look into allegations that the former highway police commander embezzled subordinates’ allowances.
Jaroonkiat responded to this complaint by stating that anti-corruption police should look into it.
Overloaded trucks were given special stickers showing that their owners had paid bribes to corrupt highway police personnel on a monthly basis to allow them to go without being stopped and inspected.
The estimated cost of the bribes was put at several billion Thai Baht annually, and overloaded trucks have been held responsible for serious road damage and accidents.
