A WELL-KNOWN whistleblower was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) police on charges of extorting 2.5 million baht from a former Immigration police officer to not broadcast allegations of smuggling out Chinese suspects from a detention centre, Naewna newspaper said this afternoon (April 21).
The CIB police team arrested Mr. Achariya Ruangratanapong, president of the Crime Victims Assistance Association, at a restaurant near Khlong Prapa road after a former superintendent of the Immigration Bureau had filed a complaint last February that the suspect had allegedly demanded this large sum of money in exchange for not revealing information in a live broadcast concerning suspicions that he had sneakily smuggled out Chinese suspects from an Immigration detention centre the victim was responsible for at the time.
Following the complaint, police meticulously gathered evidence before obtaining an arrest warrant from the Criminal Court and arresting him today.
Police also searched Achariya’s residence for additional evidence related to this case after which he was taken to the Crime Suppression Division to record the arrest and be interrogated according to regulations. Details of this case cannot yet be disclosed with high-ranking officials to do so later.
Achariya, nicknamed “Thailand’s Conan,” is from Surat Thani province. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering from Southeast Asia University, class 1, he worked as an engineer in construction business. He once explained that his life took a turn, leading him to help victims of crime, because he himself had experienced injustice and was prosecuted despite being defrauded.
Achariya claims that, along with like-minded individuals, he established the Crime Victims Assistance Association in 2009. His well-known work includes assisting victims of the Klong Chan Credit Union fraud. He has also helped victims who purchased defective cars of popular brands with faulty transmissions among other defects.
Previously, questions were raised about the source of the association’s and Achariya’s income. He explained that part of it came from legal representation, as the club has a separate law firm, and the other part is collected voluntarily from members – a system where money from the wealthy helps the poor.
However, in an interview on the “Hone Krasae” programme hosted by “Num Kanchai,” Achariya admitted to having backers and wealthy individuals supporting his expenses because they see him as someone working for society.
His path as “Conan of Thailand” or “whistleblower” has created many enemies. Most recently, he exposed scandals in the boxing world and was one of those who confronted a prominent politician in Songkhla province who is currently facing charges related to an online gambling website.
It remains to be seen whether his arrest will be the end of his career as a whistleblower.
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Mr. Achariya Ruangratanapong. Above image – Naewna, Front Page – PPTVHD36
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