The Phuket News - Wednesday, 30th Nov 2011 11:16
PHUKET: A senior Chalong police officer accused of defrauding a South African tourist was cleared of any wrongdoing on Friday (November 25) after a month-long investigation.
Police arrested South African Gabriel Sequeira, 43, on September 2 after staff in a money exchange booth on Soi Katekwan, Karon, reported that he had passed five fake US$100 notes to them on August 28.
When he was eventually released, Mr Sequeira told the Johannesburg Star newspaper that Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang, of Chalong Police Station, extorted B700,000 from him in exchange for his release.
After a month-long investigation, Royal Thai Police issued an official report to Phuket authorities confirming that Pol Lt Col Boonlert had been found not guilty of extorting a bribe.
Police said Mr Sequeira had taken more than 10 fake notes to the booth on the day he was arrested, and 14 more were found in a wallet belonging to Mr Sequeira’s wife.
Mr Sequeira was then taken to Chalong police station where he was questioned as to the origin of the counterfeit money, which totalled US$2,400.
Insisting he had no idea the notes were fake, Mr Sequeira claimed he had received the money from a currency exchange counter in South Africa.
Mr Sequeira was eventually released and flew back home, but not before paying B700,000 to his Thai lawyer to assist in his defence.
Mr Sequeira claimed Lt Col Boonlert and his lawyer were involved in defrauding him of that money, as he said his case was not processed in court.
However, in his official report, Lt Col Boonlert explained that he believed Mr Sequeira’s claim that he had no knowledge the money was fake, and therefore released him. There was never any need for the courts to be involved.
Mr Sequeira’s lawyer, Weerachai Pranee, told the investigation team from the Royal Thai Police that the B700,000 Mr Sequeira had paid was purely the fee for his services, with no benefit going to police.
The payment was calculated from his hourly rate plus an additional “foreigner’s service charge”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will now contact the South African government to report details of the investigation.