National —
At 9:30 AM on November 13th, 2024, the Supreme Administrative Court, led by Chief Judge Prasitsak Meelarp, reviewed former deputy police chief Pol. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn’s legal challenge against his dismissal, which he claimed was unjust.
Surachate had filed a lawsuit, on August 27th, against the National Police Chief, the Police Civil Service Protection Commission, and the former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, alleging wrongful removal over accusations of severe misconduct, including involvement with the online gambling platform “BNKMaster” and participation in money laundering activities.
A smaller panel of five judges initially ruled unanimously that the National Police Office’s dismissal order complied with legal standards.
However, the findings were presented today (November 13th) to the entire assembly, which ultimately (5:0) upheld the dismissal after detailed deliberations. According to Thai national media, this decision finalized Surachate’s dismissal, concluding that his removal from office was legally justified.
As of press time, Mr. Hakparn had not made a statement.
