PM ‘won’t let anyone off hook’

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted he is not helping anyone over a scandal involving the alleged hoarding of millions of face masks for sale to China as pressure mounts for him to reshuffle his cabinet.

Several people within the Democrat Party have called on party chiefs to consider withdrawing from the government after a former close aide of Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow was accused of attempting to broker the sale of up to 200 million masks abroad despite a chronic local shortage.

Capt Thamanat has denied any link to the hoarding and refused to step down as a cabinet member, saying he wants to clear his name and refuses to be a “political victim” of the media.

Ruling Palang Pracharath Party MP Sira Jenjaka on Monday urged Capt Thamanat to resign in order to limit damage to the government. A similar call was made by deputy Democrat leader Nipit Intarasombat and MP Panit Wikitset.

Capt Thamanat earlier wrote on his Facebook that a close aide, Pittinant Rak-iad, was advised by a friend to meet a man at the Marriott Hotel in the Pratunam area to discuss a matter involving masks, but they did not make a deal to trade in any masks. Yesterday, Capt Thamanat said he has since removed Mr Pittinant from his working team and ordered a probe against him.

Gen Prayut said soldiers were assisting commerce officials and police in inspecting mask factories for any supply leakage or illegal imports or exports.

“I’m not letting anyone off the hook,” Gen Prayut insisted, adding he would reshuffle the cabinet when the time is right.

Meanwhile, Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit said the party’s future as a coalition partner must be put to the vote as some members believed it was high time the party stopped paddling a boat carrying “thieves”.