NACC decides to take legal action against Jaruvan

"There was no seminar, no distribution of documents and no brainstorming of any kind," NACC spokesman Klanarong Chantik told a news conference at the agency's office yesterday.

'Seminar did not take place'

Investigation by a panel found that Jaruvan had approved a budget of Bt480,000 for holding the seminar in October 2003 but the event did not actually take place, he said.

The officials from the Auditor-General's Office instead went on an excursion for a kathin ceremony - offering new robes to monks -  without taking part in any seminar, he said.

The decision was made after the questioning of 48 witnesses, he said.

The anti-graft agency will next submit its report to the Office of the Attorney-General for criminal indictment of Jaruvan on charges of malfeasance and dereliction of duty.

Severe disciplinary action will also be sought for Kamphi Sonjai, human-resources director of the Office of the Attorney-General, for causing damage to the state agency, said Klanarong.

Jaruvan, who is no longer the auditor-general, insisted that the seminar on the "Office of the Auditor-General in the Eyes of Senate Members" did take place and that the presentation of kathin robes was just a side event.

Former Nan senator Santipap Intarapat had testified to the NACC that he had acted as a speaker at the seminar, she said.

"I don't understand why the NACC made its conclusion that way. There was no irregularity regarding this matter," she said.

Klanarong also said the NACC had discovered that landholding documents for nine plots on a mountain in the Southern province of Surat Thani were unlawfully issued to Tan Thaugsuban, who is the son of Democrat Party heavyweight Suthep Thaugsuban.

However, the NACC has not decided whom to charge in this case.