Clearing up that corruption ‘perception’

In response to the idea that the slow return to a democracy could be the main cause, I would offer a few other reasons for this poor result. 
Let’s start with a scandal over police-station construction, which has dragged on for eight years. 
With a Bt7-billion investment, this could be described as a high-priced deal that needed urgent attention, but it’s more likely the suspects will die before this case gets to a court. Since December 4 there has been a growing awareness of a government minister with a penchant for high-priced jewellery, which in most countries would have needed a simple, straightforward statement from the person involved to clear up. Eleven weeks on the public still wait.
There was also a clear case of dereliction of duty when an ex-police chief described his position as a part-time second job at the same time as admitting he’d borrowed $10 million from a brothel owner, but that was fine as they were friends. And now we have another case destined to keep the authorities busy for a good 10 years with many provincial authorities being suspected of a welfare allowance scam, pocketing money aimed for the destitute.
Add the inability to get a couple of millionaire suspects even into a courtroom and you maybe have enough for Transparency International to decide something rather odd is going on here, especially when you look at the speed with which youth activists and protestors are rushed through courts and charged with sedition for their differing opinion.
Lungstib