The murder of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta continues to be one of the most prominent topics of current Spanish news. The media continue to provide details and latest hours of the case, in which Daniel Sancho surrendered to the Thai police in mid-August, after confessing to the crime. Since then, the Spanish cook remains in Koh Samui prison, where other information has shaken the balance in recent days.
Surachate Hakparn, publicly known as Big Joke, is under the spotlight of all the media and authorities for a possible crime of corruption. The deputy director of Thailand's national police, one of the most recognizable figures in the Sancho case, is under suspicion for an alleged bribe of 3.6 million euros that he himself has denied. In the last few hours an investigation has been opened to try to resolve this matter.
However, another question arises as a result of this revelation: can the investigation into Big Joke affect that of Daniel Sancho? An important issue, considering that Harkparn has been responsible for prosecuting the case since the accused confessed to the crime. However, many police sources have ruled out that point to the EFE news agency. The Spanish entity reported that both events are taking different paths.
“What happened with Big Joke has nothing to do with Sancho's case and does not affect the investigation,” explained the sources consulted. Currently, the team in charge of the Sancho matter is finishing outlining the report that he will deliver to the Prosecutor's Office. From there, the next step will be to set a final date for the trial. Despite speculation that placed it before the end of the year, today the closest time window is the month of January.
Regarding the case of the police number two, Harkparn left some controversial statements this Wednesday morning, confessing that he had made payments to journalists. “When the reporters accompanied me to cover the news, I gave them 10,000 baht (270 euros) for their work. I have three or four journalists who have worked with me for a long time,” he explained. According to him, he never asked them to publish anything specific, so he does not consider it a bribe.
In recent days Big Joke also responded to the accusations of the large payment of 3.6 million euros that weigh on him. “It is well known that the house is mine and that I usually stay there. So that's why I say the court was misled. I think those who requested the order from the court misled them. They are not going to find anything,” the police officer declared after the person responsible for cybercrimes raided his home.
