Anti-corruption centre to look into Bangkok governor’s case

The Centre for National Anti-Corruption (CNAC) will review the case against Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra before deciding if he should face immediate suspension from duty.

On Thursday, 60 officials and locally elected political-office holders were suspended from duty.

They were the fourth batch of officials and political-office holders to face action under Article 44 of the interim constitution, which was exercised by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya, who chairs the CNAC, said that Sukhumbhand would appear in the fifth batch if the case against him matched the criteria used in the first four.

“We will check his case after the Office of the Auditor-General submits it,” he said yesterday.

The minister said that at this point the CNAC had not recommended action against Sukhumbhand, and had merely presented information and been in the process of consulting about how to proceed further.

The Thai government had concluded there were grounds to believe Sukhumbhand was involved in the irregularities of high profiled Bangkok Light of Happiness project.

Political-office holders would not receive any pay when suspended from duty, while suspended state officials, so far, would still receive their salary.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday said that it had initially been proposed that 200 officials and political-office holders be put in the fourth batch of officials to face action.

“Of these officials, more than 100 are of C8 level or higher.

“So, I’ve decided to forward their names to their supervisors for further action instead. It’s not necessary that they must be suspended under Article 44 only,” he said.

But in the end, the fourth batch comprised just 60 individuals.

Asked if the suspension order was aimed at shaking the solid foundation of some political families ahead of the referendum on the draft charter, Wissanu said the actions taken had been based on the available evidence. — The Nation /Asia News Network