Grave robber

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) force has concluded its one-year investigation into alleged malfeasance by a senior officer responsible for finances at the Thai tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) centre, the Phuket Gazette reported.

The panel has found Colonel Pornprasert Karnjanarin, who is now at large, guilty of misappropriating funds and will now move to have him dismissed dishonourably from the force.

Charges of malfeasance were filed against Pornprasert in early February last year, just two days before a resignation letter he had tendered was scheduled to take effect.

Ambassadors' request

The charges followed a formal request by 13 ambassadors representing countries that collectively donated Bt88 million to help pay for the TTVI's work in identifying and repatriating the bodies of tsunami victims.

The centre, since renamed the Thai Disaster Victim Identification (TDVI) centre, was later relocated from Phuket to Bangkok.

Pol Colonel Chaiyaporn Wannaprapa of the RTP's Disciplinary Division told reporters that the investigation committee called on Pornprasert several times for questioning, but was unable to contact him.

Fugitive from justice 

His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Pornprasert changed his first name to "Paramate", it was reported a year ago.

Chaiyaporn declined to give specific details about the investigation panel's findings, except to say that Pornprasert was deemed guilty of a serious disciplinary breach because he was unable to account for funds under his control and responsibility.

Chaiyaporn declined to elaborate on how much money had gone missing, how many people had been questioned, or what efforts had been made to track down Pornprasert, who was a deputy chief of the RTP's Foreign Affairs Division during his work at the TTVI.

Other punitive measures against Pornprasert, and the decision on whether to charge him with criminal offences, rest with the RTP board. The committee is expected to make a decision within two or three months, Chaiyaporn said.

Rank stripped, dismissed

As punishment, Pornprasert will be dismissed from the force and be stripped of his rank, Chaiyaporn said.

The loss of one's police rank is considered very serious in the RTP; even former prime Thaksin Shinawatra still formally maintains his rank as a police lieutenant colonel, despite having been convicted in absentia of abuse of power while in office.