Bangkok: Two officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) implicated in a local government exam cheating scandal continue to deny all accusations against them. The police have released the officers on bail, utilizing their positions as collateral.

According to Thai News Agency, the investigation into the scandal has progressed following the arrest of Mr. Prawit Jaruratchakul, a former Pheu Thai Party parliamentary candidate, who was charged with accepting bribes by falsely claiming he could help candidates pass local government recruitment exams. The investigation has expanded to reveal connections to high-ranking officials within the DSI.

Authorities subsequently arrested two more suspects: Mr. Itthipol (Victor), a 49-year-old senior special case officer in the Foreign Affairs and International Criminal Cases Division, and Mr. Anurak (Dr. Tor), a 46-year-old senior special investigator in the Department of Special Investigation. Both were apprehended under warrants issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, Region 3.

The charges against the suspects include soliciting or accepting property or other benefits in exchange for influencing a public official through corrupt or illegal means, or using their influence to perform acts advantageous or detrimental to others, in violation of Section 143 of the Criminal Code and Section 175 of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Corruption B.E. 2561 (2018).

According to a report from the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division (ACMSD), both suspects denied all charges during questioning and applied for temporary release, offering their jobs as collateral. Investigators initially considered that the suspects' stable and established employment justified granting them temporary release.