Fresh 'corrupt' officials list heads to PM

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Monday he will

 submit a third list of allegedly corrupt officials to Prime

 Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in the next two days.

Meanwhile, the new members of the National Anti-Corruption

 Commission (NACC) members have vowed to tackle graft

cases head-on and in a professional manner.

Gen Prayut will decide whether to suspend or transfer them,

alongside 116 others named in previous lists and since suspended

 under Section 44 of the interim charter, pending corruption

investigations.

 Mr Wissanu said most of the officials in the third list suspected

 of being involved in irregularities in various activities, including

 state procurement and personnel recruitment, are local

administrative officials.

While no one occupies a position as senior as ministerial

 permanent secretary, there are some high-ranking officers

 on the list.

 For those who have resigned from the state service but find

 their names included on the lists, including the first two lists

 submitted to the prime minister, the National Anti-Corruption

 Commission (NACC) will investigate them.

The third batch was compiled from lists submitted by four

graft-busting agencies including the NACC, the Public Sector

Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Office

 and the Office of the Auditor-General.

Officials who escape being transferred and suspended under the

premier's order will face internal reshuffles at their ministries.

The suspension order is meant to prevent officials from tampering

 with evidence during the probes.

 New NACC president, Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit,

said Monday there would be no "honeymoon period" for the

 recently appointed commissioners, who will start to work

 immediately on investigations.

 They will act with the transparency, professionalism and honesty

 that characterise the anti-graft agency, he said ahead of the

new-look panel's first meeting Monday.

Five new graft-busters were appointed to the nine-member agency

 in November, following the retirement of the former

commissioners. They include Pol Gen Watcharapol, who some

 say won the top post because of junta backing.

 He denies the accusation saying it was a straightforward selection

 by the eight other members.

The four other new members are former State Audit

 Commissioner Witthaya Arkhompithak, former State Audit

 Commissioner Witthaya Arkhompithak, former permanent

secretary for justice Suwana Suwanjutha, former chief judge of

the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court Surasak Khiriwichian,

and former director of the army's internal audit office Boonyawaj

Khreauhong.

 "All have the necessary experience and knowledge to conduct
investigative work and fact-finding, as well as the determination
 to do so," said Pol Gen Watcharapol, a former deputy national
police chief.

They will work alongside four other commissioners still serving:
 Supa Piyajitti, Pol Gen Sathapon Laothong, Preecha
Lertkamolmart and Narong Rathamarit.

The nine commissioners held their first meeting later Monday

 following royal endorsement of the new members.

 First order of the day was dividing up ongoing probes among

 themselves.

Outgoing NACC members Vicha Mahakun, Prasart Pongsivapai

and Phakdee Photisiri also attended the meeting as part of the

 transition process.

 It was important that all graftbusters review probes and examine
details of those still pending together, Pol Gen Wacharapol said.

"Probes in which there is enough evidence to move forward
 must be carried out thoroughly. Cases where there is insufficient
 evidence will be dropped," he said.

He was asked why the NACC cleared former prime minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban of
2010 red-shirt crackdown charges and yet ruled against
ex-Pheu Thai PM Somchai Wongsawat's dispersal of yellow-shirt
protesters in 2008.

 Pol Gen Watcharapol said the two rulings were based on
 the evidence.

 

News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 5 January 2016.

 

Hope all new appointment  NACC do their best of

the right justice to least and to zero corruption.

 

Sincerely Yours.