Police ponder bribery charges again

[nyeinchan@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Police ponder bribery charges against fired deputy chief     justice

(from Bandkok Post - July 2nd, 1997.)
Police ponder bribery charges against fired deputy chief justice

A deputy chief justice of a regional court is likely to face 
investigation for suspected involvement in the release on bail of drug 
suspect Li Yun Chung, Justice Ministry sources said.

Minister Suvit Khunkitti has set up a disciplinary panel to investigate 
whether any other judge besides Somchai Udomwong, a former Criminal 
Court deputy chief justice, were involved.

Somchai was dismissed without pension on Monday after an investigative 
panel found him guilty of corruption citing circumstantial evidence as 
indications of irregularities behind his decision to release Li, alias 
Pongsak Rojanasaksakul, on bail in February.

A ministry source said the newly-appointed disciplinary panel is chaired 
by Pramote Bunnag, chief justice of the Thonburi Criminal Court and 
staffed by Thonglor Chomngam and Somsak Netmai, both deputy chief 
justices of the same court.

The source said a deputy chief justice of a regional court is likely to 
be investigated by the panel.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Kukiat Sunthornbura, will also set 
up a committee to find out if any of the officials handling the Criminal 
Court's administrative affairs were involved, the source said.

The source said two Criminal Court clerks have also been targetted for 
investigation into their roles in the processing of Li's bail request.

Li jumped bail and fled to Burma. He was later recaptured and handed 
over to Thai authorities during Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's 
visit to Burma in May.

He was recently extradited to the United States to stand trial on 
charges of smuggling 486 kilos of heroin into that country in 1991.

The Police Department yesterday asked the Justice Ministry for Somchai's 
biography, details of his investigation and the ruling on his case, the 
source said.

A police committee headed by Gen Salang Bunnag, a deputy police chief, 
is looking into Somchai's case to decide whether he should face bribery 
charges.

In a related development, a Criminal Court hearing was held yesterday to 
consider the prosecution's request to extradite Cha Chung-chang, alias 
Praphan Thongchaisawang, to the United States.

The US also wants Cha to stand trial on charges of smuggling more than 
400 kilos of heroin into the country.

Suphannee Thongchaisawang, Cha's daughter who testified as a defence 
witness, said yesterday that her father was not the man wanted by the 
US.

She said her father, who was once elected a village headman in Mae Chan 
district of Chiang Rai, had never been involved in the narcotics trade.

The next hearings will be on August 8, 14 and 22.



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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