DODGER BKK ANDREW TO BE SENT HOME TO JAIL
A Briton
convicted of human trafficking has been arrested at gunpoint in Cambodia after
absconding while on bail.
convicted of human trafficking has been arrested at gunpoint in Cambodia after
absconding while on bail.
Andrew
Wallace, 38, from Puriton, near Bridgewater in Somerset was captured by police
at a hotel in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh at the request of Britain’s
Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), according to local media reports.
Wallace, 38, from Puriton, near Bridgewater in Somerset was captured by police
at a hotel in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh at the request of Britain’s
Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), according to local media reports.
He will be
deported back to the UK where he faces a 2 year jail term.’
deported back to the UK where he faces a 2 year jail term.’
Wallace was
sentenced in May 2010 at Taunton Crown Court for bringing two Thai prostitutes
to Somerset to work in the sex trade.
sentenced in May 2010 at Taunton Crown Court for bringing two Thai prostitutes
to Somerset to work in the sex trade.
The court
heard that he advertised their services on a website and then split the
proceeds with the women, who were based in Weston-Super-Mare.
heard that he advertised their services on a website and then split the
proceeds with the women, who were based in Weston-Super-Mare.
Wallace
appealed the sentence and was granted bail, but then absconded to Thailand,
where he had previously worked as a teacher.
appealed the sentence and was granted bail, but then absconded to Thailand,
where he had previously worked as a teacher.
He was
arrested in Bangkok where he was deemed an undesirable person by the Thai
Immigration Department and deported to the UK on the 15th of July 2011.
arrested in Bangkok where he was deemed an undesirable person by the Thai
Immigration Department and deported to the UK on the 15th of July 2011.
However on
his way back to the UK he switched planes in New Delhi, flying first to
Malaysia and then returning to set up business in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
his way back to the UK he switched planes in New Delhi, flying first to
Malaysia and then returning to set up business in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Wallace was well known on the Bangkok expat internet forums where he was known as BkkAndrew.
Just goes to show that we never know who we are talking to on these forums.He appears to be banned from the most popular one.
Wallace was well known on the Bangkok expat internet forums where he was known as BkkAndrew.
And of course they were in the main covering for him. The sooner these forums are brought under control or dissolved the better. Thaivisa could stick to visa issues. Subzerosiam could move to colder climates. Teakdoor could close the door and kep then flames outside. And farangtalk could stop talking and enter a silent monastic order. Do they have those in Thailand?
Oriental expats is up and coming and seems keen on the non profit aspect. Let us hope.
So, DOi, who is to control these private forums? "Freedom" essentially means control of freedom when private property is involved. I, for one applaud Thai visa (on principle only)for keeping no secrets of itself as the blatant commercial interest that it is.
Teakdoor also is vibrant and useful, has always been my dirty secret and I'll re join until they figure out how not to- me and a hundred others. A place for venting and complaints, for conflict- and of course viciously not open to feminism, always a challenge.
What I love is these guys exposed have all sent me pretty nasty comments, basement rotting body , TV mod-guy once informed me,".. We know who you are.."
And now we all know who he is.
I'm mot suggesting they should be controlled, Christy. I'm suggesting they disappear. There are some genuine posters and there can be good information and debate there, but not anywhere near enough to warrant their continued existence. Whether a minority or not, the core posters and moderators only flame, hassle and ban. (That could be a good name for a pop group!) If I understood your post better I could probably comment more but I don't see anything you have said to support their survival. I still think sending farangtalk to a silent monastery to stop then talking such bias and hypocracy would be a great help for their minority vociferous posters and mods.
Forums are no more vulnerable than real life; this prat was married to a friend of mine, we had him at family Baptisms for goodness sake.
Reading Teakdoor with Wallace and his acolytes seeking to explain his criminal behaviour as " a mistake " is a real hoot. Talk about denial. Fora are an interesting phenomena and anything that encourages literacy and expression can't be all that bad but confusing the medium with reality is perhaps the greatest trap. Anonymity releases creativity but without the inhibition of responsibility some do take it a bit too far.Still, in these perilous times when insidious censorship is imposed under the guise of correctness and the thought police patrol our lives at every turn the internet is undoubtedly a boon.
I agree forums are unreal, Gerry.
It is when they mislead and destroy freedom of expression that they become a dangerous nuisance. Unless the likes of Miss Whiplash and the late dirty dog move on, they will remain irrelevant to sensible debate and sound information. If that ever happened on this site, I would be on my bike. Though I would use the time thus saved in visiting the delinquent posters and mods who may have taken my advice and entered the silent monastic order that I suggested earlier. There they can do less harm.
Andrew, has this miscreant been returned to the UK yet? And if so, are you aware of his fate?
It's interesting to note from Wallace's comments on a thread in Teakdoor's members enclosure that he maintains he is not in custody, was not arrested as described in Phnom Penh, has served his time in the UK, did not abscond from bail pending any appeal and is not currently wanted by the authorities. Clearly, he may well be simply limiting damage to his reputation as a fine upstanding businessman in the field of renewable energy or it might even be he is telling the truth.
Can you confirm the truth of the matter?
Is anyone there?
Your story has been challenged as a work of fiction and plagiarised from other sources.
Needs attention.
Ed.( sic ).
Well nobody has challenged me. Nothing was plagiarised though. The enquiry in Phnom Penh was by the Phnom Penh Post – from my office we merely provided the background of Wallace. Is this guy worth spending more than two minutes over? He can say what he likes on Teakdoor and often does.
The story seems to have been that he was arrested at the request of SOCA who informed the Cambodian authorities that he was a fugitive from the UK who absconded from bail pending an appeal against sentence relating to an earlier conviction for trafficking and incitement to prostitution.The report further stated that he was to be returned to the UK.
You have published the account here on your site and the local papers in Somerset have followed with it.
Are you not bothered at all if it transpires the report is baseless as claimed by its subject? It may well be that Wallace is lying and he is indeed in custody but it is curious to note that he appears free to post as and when he chooses.
Yes, I quite agree with you that he is scarcely worth bothering about but in the interests of good journalism do you not have some responsibility for ensuring authenticity of your reports when they are challenged.
Yes that's the Phnom Penh Post story. If it transpires the report is baseless i will of course correct. At the moment the only person to complain or raise the issue is you and you refer to comments made on a site (I believe I am banned from) which carries the wild rantings of quite a few people.
Forgive me Andrew if this seems somewhat importunate but the story appearing herein does not come under the bye-line of the Phnom Penh Post but presents itself as yours.
I carry no torch for this fellow but if it is right the story carried by you is entirely baseless then what effect do you think it might have upon your credibility as a reporter of truth if it transpires its subject is right when he states you have published an entirely fictional account, albeit in good faith?
No one appears to be ranting on the thread in question but what is clear is the fact that someone allegedly in custody, as reported by you, is patently free to post on the internet as and when he so chooses.
All I was asking in your capacity of a journalist of note is that you revisit your contacts and enquire of the current state of play.
It's so often here in Thailand there is no follow up to any story and one wonders if perhaps this may well be one of those. If it is so piffling then, again, one wonders why you bothered to publish it here in the first place.
Gerry – This is very simple. You are referring to alleged statements by Wallace which I have searched for and cannot find, nor has a complaint been made here. If he indeed claims he was never arrested then give me the link or cut and paste, then I can refer this back to the Managing Editor of the Phnom Penh Post.
Is it possible that he has posted to a section of Teakdoor which most of us cannot read? It is not in the maind Wallace thread on that site.
What happens after an arrest in Phnom Penh however is I can say with impunity quite variable. And he would no doubt be able to use is ipad. The Phnom Penh Post however does enjoy a very good reputation.
Teak Door's brief is, and always has been, to portray Wallace as a saint. Gerry. You must know that. AD can not be expected to chase after things that don't exist. He has reported fairly and will I am sure redact if the facts change. But to rely on Thai internet forums as sources is a waste of time. They really would be better in silent monasteries where they could do no harm. (With the usual abject apologies to Farangtalk. who on this occasion did not join in the nonsense to the same extent but who regard Wallace as something of a hero because of personal contacts)
We do not regard Wallace as a hero nor does he have any association with our website other than being a contributing member.