Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, director of the Protected Areas Regional Office 9, gave testimony to Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) police on Wednesday about his corruption allegations against Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
He spent about two hours with ACD investigators.
Mr Rutchada was arrested at his office in Bangkok's Chatuchak district on Dec 27 on charges of demanding or taking bribes from subordinates and malfeasance in office by a team of ACD police led by Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew.
Mr Chaiwat had earlier filed a complaint with ACD police against Mr Rutchada, accusing him of abusing his authority by transferring officials who refused to pay him 500,000 baht to positions far away from their home provinces.
The police found an envelope containing 98,000 baht in his possession, money police had planted as part of a sting operation, and another 4.9 million baht in cash in his safe. Much of the money was in envelopes with the names of subordinates on them.
Mr Chaiwat said he was confident the evidence found by the ACD and National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in the search of Mr Rutchada's office was solid enough for police to proceed with legal action against him.
"Today I and another official came here to testify. Seventeen other officials attached to the Protected Areas Regional Office 9 will come here on Jan 6.
"The investigators asked about the 13 officials whose names appeared on the envelopes of money found by ACD and NACC officials in the office of Mr Rutchada. Their positions ranged from office directors to heads of work units," Mr Chaiwat said.
He said he handed 53 pages of documentary evidence to the investigators.
He insisted what he did was not persecution and that he did not have a personal conflict with Mr Rutchada. He did not think the case would be dropped, because Mr Rutchada's actions had been exposed to society.
Mr Chaiwat, a former controversial chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi, said that after being reinstated as director of Protected Areas Regional Office 9 he had received complaints from department officials that they had to make monthly payments to Mr Rutchada.
He had managed to meet Mr Rutchada in person at his office in October after two failed attempts, and asked him to stop collecting the money because low-level officials had to borrow to make the payments, putting them in financial strife. Mr Rutchada insisted the payments must continue, according to Mr Chaiwat.
Mr Chaiwat alleged Mr Rutchada demanded that chiefs of national park offices and wildlife sanctuaries nationwide deduct 18.5% from their annual operations budget and send the money back to the department chief.
He also alleged that forest fire protection units were ordered by Mr Rutchada to deduct 30% from their operation budgets and send the money back to him.
Mr Chaiwat and three others are facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance and murder of Karen rights activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen in 2014 when Mr Chaiwat was in charge of Kaeng Krachan park.
The four accused have pleaded not guilty in the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, which is now screening lists of evidence and witnesses to be called in the case.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said Mr Chaiwat gave useful information. The officials whose names were written on the envelopes would be summonsed to testify.
He said he had instructed investigators to conclude the investigation and submit reports to the NACC as soon as possible.
Asked why they had still not searched Mr Rutchada's house, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said investigators had to be careful in taking every step.
