Police deputy chief Pol General Dechnarong Suticharnbancha yesterday declined to give the exact number of applicants who face having their test results scrapped following exams at the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and the Provincial Police Region 7.

He said the panel’s decision would now be submitted to national police commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda.

The investigation into alleged exam cheating at the Provincial Police Region 1, which reportedly involved at least 10 university students, was still ongoing, he added.

Dechnarong said the results from exams held at Provincial Police Region 1 and 7 would be released on January 27, as previously stated, and the MPB results would be revealed on January 30.

He affirmed that the alleged exam cheating would not affect police recruitment while legal action would be taken against those involved, whether they were students who provided answers or applicants who copied the answers.

“Police supervisors won’t allow corrupt people to become police officers,” he said, adding that a separate team led by Police Inspector-General Pol General Panya Mamen was investigating whether any officers who were overseeing the exam were at fault.

Many of the students accused in the scandal testified to police at Phaholyothin Police Station yesterday and were allowed temporary bail release on the condition that they would meet police again as necessary, deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak said.

MPB chief Pol Lt General Sanit Mahathaworn observed the one-on-one interviews with the students who were among 52 people wanted on charges of racketeering, giving false information to police, and violating the Computer Crime Act’s Article 14(2) by putting false information onto a computer.

As of yesterday, 23 students most of whom were accompanied by their parents testified, said Sanit. Out of the 28 wanted students who didn’t show up, six sent letters asking for postponement to testify at later dates.

Adul also revealed that investigators yesterday expected to apply for arrest warrants for 100 people who allegedly copied answers during the exam last month.

The arrest warrants follow a police complaint filed by MPB Training Centre chief Pol Colonel Uthen Nuiphin last Sunday against Bangkok Thesakij city regulation enforcement officer Jiraphot Plaidoung and 347 applicants for exam cheating.

Jiraphot last Tuesday surrendered and confessed to arranging the cheating by hiring students to take the exam and show correct answers to applicants, before he was released on bail the following day. Jiraphot will give |additional testimony this morning.