Position selling and buying has long been practised in the police force, with policemen initiating the deals with politicians in most cases, former police chief Sombat Amornwiwat alleged yesterday.
"When serving as an assistant chief and on parliamentary duties to defend budget plans, I left the parliaments with a pocket full of papers with names of policemen earmarked for good positions by politicians," he added.
The former police general was speaking after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasrt to discuss the ongoing position selling and buying allegations currently surrounding the Royal Thai Police.
Sombat said he agreed with key conditions proposed in a reform plan during the Surayudh Chulanont that policemen served or got promoted only in their regional headquarters
"This can usefully lessen the chance of corruption or buying and selling positions. But in the end some people who don't want the change managed to freeze the entire police reform process," he said, without explaining further.
Asked to comment that senior officers in the RTP now conspired with politicians in power to reciprocal benefits through position selling and buying, he said: "Such a practice is more than certain, and can never be stopped, as long as there are no preventive measures against it being put in place," he said.
