NACC finds ex-DSI chief unusually rich, demands seizure of Bt90m in assets

NACC member Preecha Lertkamolmart said members of the anti-graft body had voted unanimously to endorse a finding that Tarit had “unlawfully” amassed assets worth Bt346.65 million.

The NACC will forward the report on its investigation to the Office of the Attorney General before charging the former DSI chief. 

According to Preecha, Tarit allegedly transferred and hid most of the Bt346.65 million so the NACC was only able to freeze Bt90.26 million of assets owned by Tarit and his wife. 

Preecha said NACC investigators had found that Tarit and his wife amassed more wealth than a government official could earn lawfully. 

He added that investigators also found that Tarit had hidden his wealth under other people’s names, including his nephew Piyarirk Atthakarnrat and sister-in-law Kanda Puadchantik.

Preecha said the court would be asked to order the seizure of Bt90.26 million of assets, which include Bt1.2 million in Tarit’s four bank accounts, Bt236,827.91 in his wife’s four bank accounts, a Mercedes Benz, a Toyota Alphard and several plots of land. 

The NACC will also ask Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was Tarit’s direct supervisor, to consider taking disciplinary action against the former DSI chief within a month, Preecha said. Tarit has been transferred to an advisory post. 

Preecha also pointed out that two NACC members did not attend yesterday’s meeting – Suwana Suwanjutha said she had an urgent errand, while Pol General Sathaporn Laothong opted out because he has the same surname as Tarit’s lawyer. 

Worawit Sukboon, the NACC’s deputy secretary general, said the anti-graft body launched an investigation against Tarit after receiving a complaint that a senior government official’s house construction was encroaching on a forest reserve in Nakhon Ratchasima. 

The NACC investigated the issue and learned that the house belonged to Tarit’s wife, Wassamol. The NACC also learned that Tarit had not included the house when declaring his assets, so the anti-graft body investigated, finding that the former DSI chief could not explain the source of his assets.

Meanwhile, Tarit issued a statement yesterday saying that the NACC investigation was inaccurate and unfair. He said the money in his and his wife’s bank accounts was being used as revolving funds for their businesses. 

For instance, he said, the NACC had included an account that |was used for stock trading in which Bt86-million worth of transactions occurred, but there was only Bt6 million in the account. He said investigators had counted the same Bt6 million repeatedly for five years to reach the Bt86 million figure.

He added that the NACC had only taken his salary into account without considering revenue that he earned from different businesses. He also said the NACC had ignored that he earned money from land and stock trading. 

Tarit also alleged that the investigation was unlawful. 

Speaking to reporters later, he said he did not feel anything after the NACC’s decision, adding that although he is suspected of |being unusually rich, he has not |been accused of abusing his authority.