Sifu Robert McInnes Responds to Police and Media Charges

In response to what the accused says are serious false charges on several major websites and in newspapers in Thailand showing pictures of him, “Sifu” Robert Malcolm McInnes, surrounded by police with a cache of automatic weapons and ammunition and  making allegations of:

·         illegal firearms possession,

·         impersonating a police officer,

·         parading in public with full SWAT gear and loaded weapons,

·         holding fake IDs,

·         being arrested

Mr. McInnes says these allegations are false and are extremely damaging to his reputation. The Pattaya Times newspaper interviewed “Sifu” Robert McInnes in an exclusive, two-hour interview to get his comments to these serious charges.

Pattaya Times reporters learned from the Pattaya Police that Sifu was charged for three crimes in a warrant saying he had illegal possession of ammunition, a bullet proof jacket and a police radio, but he was not arrested by police because he turned himself in at the police station to hear the charges and pay bail money. 

The Pattaya Times earlier reported in http://pattaya-times.com/a5088-police-crackdown-spreads-as-sifu-robert-mcinnes-is-suspected-of-possessing-illegal-firearms that additional warrants are expected to be issued on Monday for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition unless he is able to provide a valid permit on Monday when he meets again with Pattaya Police.

However, police denied reports that Sifu was “posing as a SWAT instructor” or “The police task force were acting on a tip-off that Mr. McInnes and associates had been parading around Pattaya and the surrounding area dressed in full SWAT police gear armed with automatic weapons and equipment” as reported elsewhere.

 Mr. McInnes stated emphatically in response to the news accounts of his being caught  by Pattaya Immigration police possessing illegal automatic weapons in his vehicle and posing as a SWAT instructor that, “First I have never be detained. I am the SWAT instructor and the police in Pattaya confirmed. There were no automatic weapons. SWAT uses a special gun that shoots a net.”

In response to news reports that he had been arrested Mr. McInnes replied, “The immigration did not arrest me on the 18th because I had paperwork. I don't know where all this comes from, but I assure you I'm home safe and sound. I actually went to the station myself last night. I have one police radio unlicensed that was left in my car along with a bulletproof jacket and I will most likely get a fine. Please help me with the news if you can; everyone in Pattaya knows I'm with SWAT and it's a real unit.”

“It's not true what www.Thaivisa.com and www.Pattayadailynews.com are saying on the net. There were no automatic weapons; I don't know where that came from. And there's no fake passport. The police ID is in Thai and calculated in the year of Buddha,” Mr. McInnes, who has the title of “Sifu” which means master or teacher because he is a Grand Master in a unique form of Kung Fu he mastered at a temple in China for many years when he was quite young, he said.
 
He added, “Also, I have permit as an instructor for Pattaya SWAT, issued three years ago by the Pattaya police. There has been no notification it's cancelled and the police and SWAT go on duty every week for three years and train every Wednesday and Thursday.”

“The reason the equipment was in the car was we were ready to go training shooting , then a call came saying the police had to escort a VIP so everyone left quickly and they forgot to lift the box out of the back of the Hummer and store it. I didn't know!  So I get in the Hummer and drive home,” Sifu proclaimed.

"There has been a crackdown on all foreign business owners (we have bailed out two this week for no work permit) and this is coupled with a crackdown by Bangkok authorities on people driving vehicles that say "Rescue"or "Police" when they are not. So its a double-wammy for Sifu because he is the foreign  Managing Director of ISS Group of companies which build swimming pools and heads McInnes Corp. which builds condo projects on Pratamnak Road. He sometimes does drive cars with police stickers," said Wanrapa "Kung" Boonsu of PAPPA Legal Services based in Pattaya.

Ms. Boonsu added, "Immigration now has more than 2,000 warrants to arrest foreigners for crimes commited outside of Thailand and are opening an INTERPOL office at Jomtien Soi 5 under the direction of Chonburi Police Superintendent Police Colonel Athiwit Kamonrat and they have an additional 1,000 warrants issued by Thai courts against foreigners for crimes commited in Thailand."

Asked about reports he was approached at View Talay 3 by the Immigration Police Chief, he denied this also and said, “I stopped to see someone and then the police came from immigration and said the chief of immigration wanted to see me so I drove to his office on Soi 5 and saw him. After they inspected everything they let me go. There was no arrest. Nothing. Then the reporters made a big thing of it and it all blew out of proportion.”

Sifu said, “Yesterday I was in Chonburi and heard about all the rubbish and came back and went straight to the police in Pattaya, the only thing was there was a radio without a license and a bullet proof jacket left in the car which belong to a Thai policemen who is a member of the SWAT team. As for the ammunition, it was supplied for training. Because we did not train due to the arrival of a VIP it was left in my Hummer. I am trying to ascertain where it came from. Once that is done the correct paperwork will be supplied.”

“After all of this at 11 pm last night I went to Chonburi and met Chief of Chonburi Police Colonel Noppadol Wongnorm and said I have had enough I wanted to hand myself in so he accompanied me to answer the only three charges for the radio, vest and ammunition.  I was released within 20 minutes."

 "My personal comment is I am not an idiot.  How could it have lasted three years if what the reporters are saying is true? There is not a single time I have gone out on duty with SWAT without police.  In my opinion I am stuck in a riff between police.  Until police send a letter to me saying the papers as instructor are null and void as far as I am concerned I will continue to assist SWAT," he said.

"The cars were donated by me for the police to use and the police put the stickers on the cars that say “SWAT” and bear the police insignia," he said.

Sifu declared, "How can I be impersonating an officer if every time the car is out there are police in it?"

The Pattaya Times newspaper and website www.pattaya-times.com will continue to investigate this story.

Pictured below is Sifu McInnes (center right) with the head of SWAT and the SWAT team.