Vicha denies NACC seeking to extend terms of five commissioners
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VICHA MAHAKHUN, spokesman of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), yesterday denied that the agency was trying to get the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to extend the term of five commissioners, whose terms expire this year, so they
He was responding to rumours that the NACC was seeking support from the NCPO to extend the commissioners’ term because they need to finish certain cases so as to ensure continuity and to push for a national anti-graft strategy that will cover activities and mobilisation up until 2017.
Vicha said the NACC members would step down after completing their nine-year term as scheduled and that the rumour was baseless. His denial came as Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who also leads the NCPO, said yesterday that he was carefully considering the idea of extending the five commissioners’ term.
Prayut said the matter and its appropriateness would be reviewed, as the country cannot wait until an elected government is installed in order to start selecting new NACC members. He also wondered if launching a selection process now would be problematic or not. “I will not make a final call as it can go both ways,” he said.
However, Vicha insisted that the NACC has never met, discussed or come up with a resolution on the matter, adding that the rumour was being spread by the media and wanted to know where it originated from.
Five of the nine NACC members will be completing their term this year. NACC’s chairman Panthep Klanaron-gran will retire after turning 70 in May, while Vicha and three other members will complete their nine-year term in September. The three other NACC members are Vichai Vivitasevi, Prasart Pongsivapai and Pakdee Pothisiri.
