Pol. Gen. Wichien confirmed that no incidents would be seen at the UDD’s gathering to submit the petition seeking a royal pardon for ex-prime minister Thaksin on 17 August as he would control the situation himself. He said the Metropolitan Police Bureau had coordinated with the First Army Region Command and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to jointly handle the gathering. He added he would call a meeting today with relevant agencies to discuss preparations for the movement.

He was confident that the “Korakot 48” crowd control plan would be effectively used to cope with the UDD’s rally. He said authorities had been sent to negotiate with the UDD core members to ask them not to travel to the court where the case of Mr. Nevin Chidchob would be considered on 17 august to prevent a possible confrontation between the UUD supporters and the pro-Navin groups.

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Police General Patcharavat remained in his office at the National Police Headquarters for the whole day of 11 August while his classmates from military and police cadet schools made visits to give him moral support. He had an audience with Her Majesty the Queen on the mark of her 77th birthday anniversary yesterday afternoon.

Upon the order to the south, the National Police Chief stated that he wanted to visit the south to see the operation of police officers in the areas and evaluate the performance of police during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in the island province of Phuket.

Nevertheless, Police General Patcharavat did not say if he was satisfied with his assignment during the tasked period or not due to the transfer and appointment of police generals. He said the matter must be done in compliance with the law although he would be in the south. Still, he said he did not know what the Prime Minister would assign him to do after that.

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Mr Suthep told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday afternoon for about 45 minutes that there was no discussion about naming the acting top police official as the incumbent has not yet submitted a leave of absence letter.

He said once Gen Patcharawat submits the letter, then discussion would be made about his temporary stand-in.

Mr Abhisit last week met Gen Patcharawat and later said that the nation’s top cop would take 10-days leave for a mission in China – an absence which would smoothen the police investigation of the attempted killing of Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul on April 17. He is expected to leave for China this week.

Investigators earlier complained that the investigation of the case had run into difficulties as information had been leaked by unnamed police officers.

Meanwhile, Gen Patcharawat on Monday affirmed he was not disheartened, but said his has no plan to resign and intends to work until his September retirement.

Gen Patcharawat is scheduled to leave his post October 1 due to the policy of compulsory retirement at age 60.

The top police officer also reaffirmed that he had no conflict with the prime minister, saying that his relationship with Mr. Abhisit remains strong. (TNA)

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The premier however said the police chief had proposed two possible solutions to ending the conflict regarding the probe into the attempted killing of the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in April.

Gen. Patcharawat proposed delaying any police reshuffle until the new police chief takes office because he doesn’t want the reshuffle to affect the probe, the prime minister said.

“The police chief also told me that he will take leave for an overseas mission for one month starting from next week,” said Mr Abhisit. “I think this is a sufficient timeline for the investigative team to proceed and finalise the case.”

The premier said the proposed solutions to the Gen Patcharawat saga are best way out of the current conflict, while insisting that there are insufficient grounds to indicate that the commissioner was the obstacle to investigating the Sondhi case.

The premier, however, did not name an acting police chief, saying that he and his team were researching the legal aspects.

The premier commented after meeting Gen Patcharawat earlier in the day amid rumours that he will be transferred to an inactive post in response to the complaint of deputy police chief Pol Gen Thani Somboonsap heading the investigation team that his task encountered difficulty as information had been leaked by unnamed police officers.

Mr Sondhi, key leader of the People’s Alliace for Democracy (PAD), played a key role in campaigning to oust prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, culminating in the coup of September 2006,  survived a serious attempt to kill him in an April 17 ambush.

The PAD leader revealed Thursday that the killing team comprised 13 military men and one police officer. He said some officials in the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) helped plan and carrying out the attempted killing, saying that “these people have a close ties with the old power clique.”
 
The court earlier issued arrest warrants for two non-commissioned officers for their alleged involvement in the attempt on Mr Sondhi’s life.

The two suspects still at large are identified as Pol Cpl Worawut Mungsanthi, assigned to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) and Sgt-Maj 1st Class Panya Srihaera, a non-commissioned officer from the Army’s Special Warfare Command in Lop Buri.

However, on Friday assistant police chief Pol Lt-Gen Assawin Kwanmuang said that he had discussed with the investigation team and had been informed that Cpl Worawut sent a letter to Gen Thani, explaining that was not involved in the incident as accused.

“Pol Cpl Worawut said in the letter that he had contacted a go-between to take him to surrender to police,” said Pol. Lt-Gen. Assawin, “I also guarantee his safety if he surrenders to police, but if he does not, I can’t guarantee safety for him.”

The assistant police chief added that he had been informed by Pol. Gen. Thani that no more arrest warrants can be issued during this period as earlier said to the media.

He reasoned that police still have not found the impounded car and there are not enough eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidence. (TNA)

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