Senior Metropolitan Police Officers Facing Charges On Street LED Ads

BANGKOK : More than 70 senior metropolitan police officers are facing questioning after they were accused of allowing private companies to install LED advertising boards on state property with no authorisation and reap  earnings for personal gains.

 

Certain members of the metropolitan police force are facing possible criminal charges for allowing advertising signs to be set-up onto traffic police booths at intersections.

According to  Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol  Lt-Gen  Srivara Ramsibrahmakul, Commissioner, such offences are punishable crimes and disciplinary committees have been established to investigate any officers implicated in this latest scandal.

Another investigation is being launched against police officers for allowing companies to set-up large LED screens at intersections atop police booths for advertising purposes.

The commissioner said some of these LED screens have been up and running for at least two years now and any officers implicated in authorising them may be charged with criminal offence.

He made clear that such acts are deemed as attempts to earn income through unauthorized means and has ordered each police division   to set up disciplinary committees to investigate these offences within each district.

Anyone found guilty of accepting payment for setting these LED screens up will be charged with criminal offences as authorization of such elements needs to officially obtained from the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

He said the correct procedures for setting up any commercial screens or public signage requires authorization from the Treasury Department as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Advertising companies have been making substantial income from setting up LED screens for commercial purposes from what is considered state properties for years now without obtaining any official licensing and are not even in line with city regulations.

According to the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC), this is in offence of Article  157 of the Criminal Act which describes this as misuse and/or misconduct of authority of a civil servant.

 This crime is also chargeable under the Anti Corruption Act’s Article 123 where civil servants are prohibited from reaping inappropriate rewards/benefits for personal gain,

“It is absolutely against the law to reap personal benefits from state property and public property. 

This is considered a form of corruption, the commissioner stated.

Although the disciplinary investigation is still being finalized, it is estimated that about 70 high ranking officers from the Superintendent level upward have been implicated in these corruption charges. 

Some of the charges that are being brought against officers include gross negligence for allowing over 40 LED screens in districts that include Huay Kwang, Dindaeng, Thonglor, Phayathai and Tharua. 

The investigation has revealed that advertising companies approached these precincts directly offering revenue between 5,000 baht to 10,000 baht per month for each screen.

The commissioner added that the investigation was launched as far back as two months ago and that the objective of this current initiative was not to target or move any officers in particular.

He also denied accusations that the investigation was to replace offenders with his own people.