New chief picked next week : PM

Posted by sothea Thursday, August 13, 2009


By Piyanart Srivalo
Khwanhathai Malakarn
The Nation
Published on August 14, 2009


Structural revamp postponed; Patcharawat off to Europe shortly
chief was likely to be appointed at the National Police Policy Commission meeting next week, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

As ex-officio chairman of the commission, the PM will chair the meeting, and selection of a new police chief was likely to be on the agenda. The date of the meeting is not known yet.

Current police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan is due to retire at the end of next month, when he turns 60. A caretaker commander was appointed when he was on leave in China recently, and the caretaker re-appointed after Patcharawat returned early to reclaim his seat.

Patcharawat has now been assigned to the deep South and was expected to take further leave - a trip to Europe - until the end of August, a source said.

While he is away, caretaker police chief General Vichien Potphosri is expected to oversee preparations for the transfer of senior police under the rank of general, the source added.

Meanwhile, the Police Commission convened yesterday and resolved to postpone the introduction of a new police structure from August 16 till September 7, spokesman General Watcharaphol Prasarnratchakit said.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, lasted for more than an hour.

Vichien told the meeting more time was needed to fully examine the qualifications of many senior police from across the country whose names were put up for transfers as part of structural changes to the force, the spokesman said.

Careful examination of the transfer lists was needed to ensure transparency, especially due to allegations of bribes being paid for certain positions, Watcharaphol said.

Patcharawat flew to the far South yesterday to follow up on the progress of inquiries into cases linked to the insurgency.

Before leaving Bangkok, he said he was given the task of speeding up the inquiry into a massacre at a mosque in Narathiwat in June. He would also assess security for the Asean meeting in Phuket next month.

Patcharawat is believed to have been sent to the South to leave others free to look into the bid to kill media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, a core leader of the anti-Thaksin yellow-shirt movement.

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