High Profile Foreigner Answers Weapons Charges and Arrest Reports

Press Release from Sifu McInnes

"There is a lot of rumors and speculation as to what my opinion is in relation to what happened.

Here is what I think, First it is NOT a fight between departments, its  has NOTHING to do with in coming or out police in a reshuffle.

From what I hear there was a report to Immigration of a foreigner driving a police car or something along those lines.

Immigration were only doing there job by following up the report. I voluntarily when to the immigration station on the 18^th.  I WAS NOT ARESSTED as some reporters stated nor were the SWAT cars Confiscated.

As for the training equipment that was confined inside a lock up carry boy case in the back of my Hummer , this is normally lifted off the track after training exercises . On Wednesday the 17^th the SWAT team was training as we do every week got a call that a VIP was coming and had to leave urgently. Someone forgot to lift the box off the hummer. I was unaware what the police SWAT had put in the box for training , There was a amo box with 220 rounds of 5.56 ammunition of which I was unaware of as I thought the army that trained with us took it back with them, which apparently was left in the box by mistake.I truly am at a loss for words in relation to all the things written on the press.

There is speculation as to why the new police chief , did not verify me and my position as a SWAT Instructor, im sure he has a very good reason, after al he only just took his new posting and suddenly got hit with all this .

Of course a warrant must be issued then , immigration just followed procedures along with the Pattaya police.

The minute I heard this I turned around and returned to Pattaya, I arrived at a little after 11pm and handed myself in to answer the accusations , by this time paperwork was starting to surface confirming m position etc.

As normal in any investigation I placed a 100,000bht bond while the investigate the paperwork etc and that’s were it is now.

Im sorry for all those people that relieved incorrect news. I sure the police and investigators will do a fair job in investigating  this case producing the correct out come.

I have only ever done my best to to do what I was asked to do, I have sacrificed my time money and now at my families and business expense suffering for this. Its time like this you just want to pack it all in and no longer help anyone. Maybe after all this I will just retire to teach martial arts the one passion I have left in life. I which to thank those whom know me and have stood by me through this, and the SWAT team for their undying support.

S.R.McInnes"

Editorial Comment: As a foreign owned and managed newspaper with distribution in 17 provinces we at the Pattaya Times want to extend the opportunity for foreigners accused of non-violent, victimless crimes- which still could blacklist them from Thailand forever, or worse put them in a Thai prison- to have a fair hearing. We will let the courts decide who is guilty.  The police do their job, then the courts determine guilt. We have been reporting for over a month of the new crackdown by police on foreigners with illegal businesses, no work permits, wanted in other countries, etc. We, as concerned foreigners should do our best not to smear the by posting anonymously on the internet the reputation and possibly the chance for a fair trial of someone who has been here for a long time. If he is guilty he should be prosecuted, but why should he be prosecuted by us if maybe he is not yet guilty?