Panita invited to hear charges on Friday

Panita was transferred to an inactive post after a sixmember disciplinary committee probed allegations that she misspent state funds while travelling abroad.

Tongthong, who led the probe, commented after the committee’s meeting yesterday that Panita’s invitation to hear charges on Friday was within the 15day period after the probe order was issued on March 6.

The OAG says the expenditure of donation money or income from statesponsored charity homes in 200809 was not according to regulations, and the OAG wants the money to be repaid and the officials involved to face punishment.

Besides notifying Panita of the charges, the committee would get more details. It will ask the Social Development and Human Security Ministry for information about each trip made and whether there was similar spending before 200809, and whether the OAG had objected to it, Tongthong said. He said he was confident that Panita would show up because if she didn’t the probe couldn’t commence and wouldn’t benefit her.

Commenting about Panita’s appeal for the PM’s Office to review her transfer and investigation orders, Tongthong said it was within the authority of Social Development and Human Security Minister to decide to review the disciplinary probe or not. So as long as the order remains, the committee was dutybound and will report the probe result back to the minister. 

Tongthong said he didn’t feel uneasy about investigating the politically sensitive case, because the probe committee will simply consider the evidence and maintain the principles of transparency according to the law.