Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand – In a dramatic turn of events, former Minister of Culture, Itthiphon Khunpluem, has been apprehended by Immigration Police upon his return from Cambodia. The arrest comes as he faces charges of corruption and misconduct during his tenure as Mayor of Pattaya.
Mr. Khunpluem’s ordeal began when the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 2 contemplated issuing an arrest warrant against him. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had previously found substantial evidence of wrongdoing and subsequently sent the case to the prosecutor’s office for further action. The charges against him stem from alleged misconduct in the execution of his duties, particularly in relation to the issuance of a permit for the Waterfront Project in Pattaya Beach, Chonburi Province.
In a surprising twist, Mr. Khunpluem claimed to have cooperated with the police to surrender voluntarily, just as authorities were considering issuing an arrest warrant. On October 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., Immigration Police officers arrested him at Suvarnabhumi Airport, shortly after he disembarked from a flight arriving from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The arrest followed the issuance of an arrest warrant.
Upon being taken into custody, Mr. Khunpluem was escorted to the Crime Suppression Prosecutor’s Office with a smile on his face. Accompanied by his personal lawyer, he addressed the media, stating, “Today, I came to surrender.” Subsequently, he underwent questioning by prosecutors before being transferred to the Corruption Criminal Court and Misconduct Division for the filing of a lawsuit. Whether or not he will be granted bail remains uncertain, pending further consideration by the court.
Mr. Prayut Phetkun, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, received a report from Mr. Kamnueng Wongthaweesap, Director-General of the Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Case Office, Region 2, confirming that Mr. Khunpluem had indeed coordinated his surrender with the authorities.
The former Minister of Culture had left Thailand on August 30th for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, via Cambodia Airlines Flight KR0702. Earlier, on August 22nd, Mr. Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, Secretary-General of the NACC, had revealed that Mr. Khunpluem had initiated the process to surrender, though the specific unit to which he would turn himself in was not disclosed at the time.