Maj Gen Suthip Palitkusolthat had earlier been reshuffled from Loei to work as a deputy chief of the human resources office at the Royal Thai Police head office in Bangkok.
Office commissioner Lt Gen Thanat Wongsuwon said yesterday (Aug 20) that his deputy was dismissed last Friday (Aug 17) pending the investigation in an order signed by Deputy National Police Chief Gen Rungroj Saengkram.
The order came after the Provincial Police Region 4, which oversees police affairs in Loei, had pressed a fraud charge against him.
While being Loei police commander and chairman of the Loei police cooperative, Maj Gen Suthip invited 192 local policemen to borrow from the cooperative to clear debts with creditor banks. He also offered to manage the borrowed money, repaying their old debts and promising them monthly investment returns of about B5,000. The 192 policemen believed him and transferred him cash.
Maj Gen Suthip had failed to pay the promised returns since January and the 192 policemen were sued by their creditor banks.
The case was believed to have taken place last year.
Another panel has been set up to conduct a disciplinary probe on him, according to Lt Gen Thanat.
The office also dismissed Col Chalerm Yodprathum, who worked as the general staff office chief in Nong Bua Lamphu, for allegedly colluding with Maj Gen Suthip.
Maj Gen Suthip was the Nong Bua Lamphu police chief before he was transferred to Loei in October 2016. An investigation by the Provincial Police Region 4 office linked the fraud to a Ponzi network which claimed to invest in stocks and properties.
Maj Gen Suthip could not be reached for comment.
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