Seripisut Temiyavet

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Police General Seripisut Temiyavet (originally Seri Temiyavet, Thai: เสรีพิศุทธ์ เตมียาเวส, originally เสรี เตมียาเวส; born 3 September 1948) is a Thai police officer who gained a reputation from targetting mafia leaders like "Kamnan Poh" Somchai Khunpleun and "Por Pratunam" Phaijit Thammarojphinij. He was appointed Police Commissioner of Thailand by a military junta. He replaced Kowit Wattana, the Police Commissioner under deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He chairs the Friends of Seri Foundation, which was engaged in controversial loans to junta-appointed Constitution Drafting Committee and National Legislative Assembly member Thanaboon Jiranuwat. He is married to Khajornjit Thepchatri Temiyavet (Thai: ขจรจิตต์ เทพชาตรี เตมียาเวส) and has 3 children.

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[edit] Education and early career

Seri graduated from the 8th Class of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School and went on to graduate from the 24th Class of the Thai Police Cadet Academy. He took part in anti-communist operations in the Northeast, where he became close friends with Manoon Roopkachorn. For this association, he was purged from the police force after the NPKC Coup of 23 February 1992.[1] He was later rehabilitated into the police force.

As Assistant Director of the 2nd Region Police, he was in charge of the 1994 arrest of "Kamnan Poh" Somchai Khunpleum in the Khao Mai Kaew land corruption case. In 2003, a court found the influential mafia leader guilty and sentenced him to jail.[2]

Seri ascended to the rank of Inspector-General. Under the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, he was assigned to several high-profile corruption cases, including the longan subsidy scandal, the Bobae mafia case, and the Government Public Warehouse rice screening case.[3][4][5] Seripisut came into conflict with Army officer Maj General Khattiya Sawasdipol of the Internal Security Operations Command while investigating the "Por Pratunam" gambling den of Phaijit Thammarojphinij. Seripisut filed a libel lawsuit against Khattiya, although Khattiya was acquitted in November 2006. After Seripisut was promoted to Police Commissioner General, Khattiya filed a Bt600million defamation suit against him.[6][7]

[edit] Police Commissioner General

In 5 February 2007, Seripisut was appointed Police Commissioner General by the military junta that had overthrown the government of Thaksin Shinawatra in 19 September 2006. He replaced Kowit Wattana, who had served as Police Commissioner General under the Thaksin government. There was great speculation about the motivation behind the replacement, as Kowit had earlier arrested several military personnel for alleged involvement in the 2006 Bangkok New Year's Eve bombings.

In his first staff reshuffle, Seripisut transferred Metropolitan Police Commissioner Viroj Chantarangsi to the provinces in the Lower North. Those close to former Commissioner Kowit Wattana and deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra were transferred to inactive posts. At the same time, he promoted police officers with close connections to him to powerful posts. Viroj, a classmate of Kowit, was replaced by Adisorn Nonsi, a former close aid of Seripisut. Pol Lt-Gen Thawornsak Thepchatree, an elder brother of Seripisuth's wife, was appointed adviser to the National Police Office. Pol Lt-Gen Jettanakorn Napeetaphat, who is married to the sister of Prime Minister Surayud's wife, replacing Pol Lt-Gen Adul Saengsingkaew in dealing with the South Thailand insurgency as Region 9 Commissioner.[8]

[edit] Friends of Seri Foundation controversy

Seripisut is the Chairman of the Friends of Seri Foundation and involved in controversial loans made to businessman and junta-associate Thanaboon Jiranuwat. Thanaboon's construction business was losing money, and he received an 18% interest-rate loan from Seripisut's foundation in September 1996. Thanaboon wrote 14 cheques worth 300,000 baht each to the foundation as repayment. Thanaboon's banks returned the cheques unpaid, and Seripisut sued Thanaboon. Thanaboon was acquitted by the Criminal Court but convicted on appeal. He later appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the loan agreement violated the foundation's objectives and regulations, and that the interest rate was above Bank of Thailand limits. On 8 February 2007, the Supreme Court upheld Thanaboon's conviction in which Thanaboon was sentenced to 40 months in jail.[9]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Positioning Magazine, เสรีพิศุทธ์ เตมียาเวส เจ้าของ “โลโก้ มือปราบตงฉิน!
  2. ^ Manager.com, วิบากกรรม'เจ้าพ่อ'ในวัย66 (ตอน1)
  3. ^ Bangkok Post, Longan scam could snare 10 more officials, 6 March 2005
  4. ^ Thailand Public Relations Department National News Bureau, 07 April 2005 newsbar
  5. ^ Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department, Director of Govt Public Warehouse Charged on Irregularities in Rice Screening Companies, 11 January 2006
  6. ^ The Nation, National police chief sued for Bt600 million, 16 February 2007
  7. ^ The Nation, Court rules in favour of Khattiya in Seripisut libel suit, 8 November 2006
  8. ^ Bangkok Post, Officers close to govt promoted, 22 February 2007
  9. ^ The Nation, Jailing surprises colleagues, 22 February 2007
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