DSI probe clouds fate of new NBTC

The fate of the newly formed National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission remained uncertain yesterday after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) accepted the case of alleged irregularities in the selection process for seats in the NBTC.

Meanwhile, the National Telecom-munications Commission (NTC) will invite all 11 NBTC commissioner designates for a meeting on Monday to select a chairman and two vice chairmen for the new watchdog before submitting their names to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The invitation came after Senate chairman Teeradej Meepian's order to the Senate's secretariat office to make an urgent request to the NTC to hold the meeting for NBTC commissioners.

The Frequency Allocation Law requires NBTC commissioners to select a chairman and vice chairmen within 15 days after the Senate nomination of their names, which took place on Monday.

The DSI development might make Yingluck hesitate about sending the list of 11 NBTC commissioner designates for royal endorsement. She might prefer to wait until the probe is finished before making the submission.

As of press time, Yingluck had yet to comment on the matter.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said his agency was expected to take six months to complete its in-depth probe. He denied a report the investigation was politically motivated and aimed at blocking the inception of the NBTC. If the candidate-selection process is found to have been unlawful, the DSI will forward the case to the court.

Tarit added that it was the prime minister's decision when to submit the list of NBTC commissioners for royal endorsement.

A meeting of the DSI special case committee yesterday was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who said before the meeting that if the case became a special one, he would advise Yingluck not to hurry to submit the name list.

Besides the DSI probe, there are complaints before the Central Administrative Court against the alleged unlawful process of selecting the final 22 candidates in the second of two lists from which the final 11 were eventually chosen. Relevant organisations had proposed names for the first list, while those on second list were nominated by a state selection panel - which now faces legal challenges.

Varied views

Jamnan Siritan Nunbhakdi, president of the Radio-Television Broad-casting Profession Federation, said she had doubts about the DSI special case committee's motivation in accepting the case as special.

Satellite Television Association (Thailand) chairman Niphon Naksom-pop said those commissioners who are qualified should be allowed to work, as the industry has been waiting for the watchdog for years to reform the broadcast sector.

Tarit said the DSI's special cases committee decided to take this case because it had grounds to believe the selection of the 22 candidates on the second list was unlawful.

According to the DSI's preliminary probe, seven issues give cause for belief that the selection process is unlawful. These include a possible conflict of interest between the selected candidates and the selection panel members, the doubtful legal status of organisations whose members sit in the selection panel, and the doubtful qualifications of some final candidates.

Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn said the Senate's duty to select NBTC commissioners was completed on Monday and the DSI's decision to investigate the case would not affect any further legal process for the 11 NBTC members. That includes their selection of a chairman and vice chairmen by the stated deadline.