Officers face charges over pictures
General Sirichai Thanyasiri, the Defence permanent secretary, holds a press conference about the leaking of CCTV pictures that linked caretaker Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura to the funding of small parties to contest the April 2 election. He said t
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Two military officers face criminal proceedings and two others will be disciplined for their involvement in leaking CCTV pictures that linked caretaker Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura to the funding of small parties to contest the April 2 election.
The investigation concluded that four officers in charge of Defence Ministry security were responsible for the leak, Defence Permanent Secretary-General Sirichai Thanyasiri said yesterday. "Evidence showed nine CCTV pictures were transmitted without authorisation via emails," Sirichai said. Even though Thamarak said the pictures were doctored to frame him, Sirichai said the investigation verified the pictures were recorded by CCTV installed in the corridors leading to the minister's office. He said the pictures were recorded on March 3 and retrieved from the database on March 20 and March 21 before they were illegally emailed. Based on the investigative report, Sgt-Major Supoj Phanphet was in charge of monitoring the CCTV and responsible for retrieving the pictures. He confessed to the crime. Evidence showed Supoj's supervisor Lieutenant Narongsak Premsuk transmitting the pictures. He has yet to enter his plea. Sirichai said Supoj and Narongsak would be tried on charges relating to the disclosure of classified information. The two will be suspended from duty pending the outcome of litigation. Lt-Colonel Kuru Sensiriwattana, head of security guards, and Colonel Arvuth Saengtawan, chief of security for the Defence Ministry building, will be on probation for one year as punishment for a lapse of supervision. Panya Tiewsangwan The Nation
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