NRC floats anti-graft merger plan

The National Reform Council (NRC) has raised the idea of merging the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) in a bid to improve the fight against graft.

Merging the two anti-graft bodies would help restrict political interference in corruption cases, said Pramon Sutivong, chairman of the subcommittee on anti-corruption reforms at the NRC.

The PACC, which is under the Justice Ministry, was established to handle corruption cases involving low-ranking state officials, while the NACC, an independent body, focuses on politicians and highranking officials.

An additional anti-graft body should be employed to monitor this newly-merged and independent organisation handling corruption cases to ensure fairness and transparency, he said.

Mr Pramon was speaking at a press briefing on the subcommittee’s study of corruption and ways to deal with the problem at parliament yesterday.

A court to specifically handle corruption charges should also be established, he said.

Members of the public should be given a stronger role in monitoring corruption and they should be encouraged to speak out about graft.

The government should strive to improve the role of the public in fighting graft by increasing anti-corruption awareness and to help stamp it out, Mr Pramon said.

Mr Pramon said the number of NACC members should increase from 9 to 11, with each member serving six years in office.

The Official Information Act must also be amended.

A new law on state procurement must be drafted to cover other state units, including state enterprises and local administrative offices.

Meanwhile, NACC president Panthep Klanarongran yesterday said he had no problem with the NRC proposal to merge the NACC and the PACC, saying the two anti-graft bodies have worked together in the past and they could merge without too many problems.

Mr Panthep, however, disagreed with the suggestion to increase the number of NACC members.