A former director-general-level prosecutor has been formally accused of offering a bribe and falsely invoking the names of senior police officers to interfere with a high-profile corruption case in Chiang Mai.
Apiwat Khanthong, acting on behalf of Nethipat Setthitanan, director-general of the Region 5 Anti-Corruption Litigation Office, submitted evidence to Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) investigators on Monday, seeking legal action against the former prosecutor.
The complaint stems from a corruption case dating back to Oct 16, 2024, when ACD officers, working jointly with the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, arrested the director of a municipal engineering department and two associates in an operation dubbed Gang-Up at the Table.
The suspects allegedly demanded bribes for construction and renovation permits for a restaurant in Muang district, Chiang Mai. The case was forwarded for prosecution late last year.
Mr Apiwat said the former prosecutor allegedly offered Mr Nethipat 400,000 baht in exchange for a decision not to prosecute certain suspects. Mr Nethipat reportedly rejected the offer and proceeded with the prosecution of all defendants. Mr Apiwat said that after learning indictments would proceed, the former prosecutor telephoned and claimed he had already "settled" the case with senior police officers.
The ex-prosecutor allegedly claimed he could have the case file returned for a non-prosecution order and ensure police would not file a dissenting opinion. However, subsequent fact-checking found no evidence any such agreement or intervention had occurred.
Mr Apiwat argued the claims constituted a false invocation of the names of senior police officers, causing significant reputational damage.
He said evidence submitted on Monday linked the former prosecutor to individuals involved in the case.
Although suspects and intermediaries had previously denied knowing the former prosecutor, investigators allegedly uncovered business connections and records showing the parties attending events together.
