I take my hat off to Colonel Sommai Kongwisaisuk, acting provincial police commander. Great, we are all behind you sir.

But we hope that the Central police chief would do the same. We are too long for that, clean the bad hats off the land.

Vowing to crack down on local influential figures and to restore police's dignity and morale, Colonel Sommai Kongwisaisuk, acting provincial police commander, said he was not afraid and would order investigations into any officer allegedly under the influence of Sathiraporn Naksuk, president of the Yasothon Provincial Administration Organisation.

The police investigation has found that Wiroj Jaiphrommuang, 29, was wanted for a drug-related case in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district, Sommai said, adding that he would squeeze Wiroj into elaborating on his comment of beating up Sergeant Athit Daengdee on behalf of someone else.

Sommai said two committees were set to investigate if supervisors at Muang Yasothon Police Station allowed the assault to take place without acting against the aggressors, as well as to see if PAO president Sathiraporn's claim of not knowing the two assault suspects was true.

If Sathiraporn were behind the attack, he would be regarded as a dark force, not just an influential figure, he said.