Border policemen plead innocence after surrender

All maintained their innocence, claiming they had been doing their duty and following the orders of supervisors.

The officers' surrender brings to eight the number of alleged gang members who have turned themselves in to authorities.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry has set up a 20-member team to help 188 people who claim to be victims of rogue border policemen.

Pol Sgt-Maj Suwit Sukthawi, Pol Sgt-Maj Rangsiman Sukkaew, Pol Sgt-Maj Niran Taemchuay, Pol Sgt Apisak Polsawas, and Pol Sgt Panung Duangkamol went to the Border Patrol Police (BPP) headquarters yesterday morning with lawyer Surin Sukkeua. The five worked under the 42nd BPP unit in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Police say their alleged victim, Juthaporn Noonrod, was two-months pregnant when the alleged offences took place in Bangkok's Petchkasem area. At Petchkasem police station the five accused responded to the the charges, insisting they were innocent, had been following orders and would present evidence in court to clear themselves.

Defence lawyer Surin said the accused officers reported first to BPP headquarters, as that was their original post, rather than Petchkasem police station. He said the men's families had been ordered out of their police flats since arrest warrants were issued this month, leaving their wives without homes and their children out of school.

Surin said the 42nd BPP unit superintendent Colonel Somkiat Neuthong and his deputy Lt-Col Kamol Sukprasert signed the orders to move the officers' families from the police flats.

Bumrung said that he also knew Capt Nat Chonnitiwanich, who led the accused team, as a hard working and able officer, mostly involved in drugs cases.

He believed that Pol Sgt-Maj Jaroon Kaewkul, who had turned himself in and later shot himself dead, committed suicide over the stress from these allegations.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry team to help victims of the rogue border police started work this week at Surat Thani prison, where 99 of them are being held.

Corrections Department deputy head Colonel Phokha-paibul Potranant said most plaintiffs claimed they had been kidnapped by the team, taken to a safe house, tortured to implicate people they knew and faced bogus drug charges.

He said if the plaintiffs were later found to have filed wrong  complaints, they would be held responsible for their claims.

The Nation