Complaint over ‘dubious’ inquiry report to go to NACC this week

Boonyarit Nipawanit, chairman of the Federation of Assistant District Chiefs of Thailand, who has been the subject of attacks himself, vowed yesterday to lodge the complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) later this week. 
“The probe report failed to include the testimony of the victim. The part that implicated the provincial governor was deliberately omitted,” Boonyarit claimed.
He suggested that the omission could lead to Mae Hong Son Governor Suebsak Iamwichan being cleared of involvement in the child-prostitution scandal. 
According to Boonyarit, the victim told a fact-finding panel on February 22 that a policeman, now in custody for allegedly procuring girls for prostitution, got her to provide sex for a VIP, which allegedly turned out to be the governor. 
But officials allegedly did not report that part of her testimony. 
If proven, that action could |violate section 157 of the Criminal Code (if an official dishonestly |omits to exercise any of his functions and causes ‘injury’ to other people).
Boonyarit said he would ask |the NACC to take action against Suebsak, plus a prosecutor who |led the fact-finding committee |and a social development |official who served as the panel’s secretary. 
The child-prostitution scandal has drawn huge media coverage recently after a mother came |forward to seek justice for her underage daughter, who was allegedly coerced into sex work. 
The mother has implicated Suebsak, who has to date denied any wrongdoing. 
Police and other agencies have since launched several probes into the scandal. 
Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda said yesterday a committee appointed by the |ministry was now looking into the affair and trying to determine if Suebsak or his predecessor Pipat Ekpapan were involved in child prostitution. 
Pipat, now governor in Uttaradit, told a five-minute press conference he had nothing to do with the Mae Hong Son prostitution ring and was waiting for the justice process to prove his innocence. 
Pipat said he would file complaints of libel and violating the Computer Crime Act against anyone who doctors pictures to suggest he was a man who bought sex from child prostitutes. 
Meanwhile, many people have come forward to question Boonyarit’s claim. 
Chunpimarn Chetmetinee of the Thai Women’s Empowerment Fund’s Mae Hong Son branch told a press conference that claims by Boonyarit had unfairly damaged the reputations of many. 
“In his interview [last week], he alleged that there were alcoholic drinks and young women at a party [to welcome Suebsak]. But that’s groundless,” she said. 
Chunpimarn said her group and local people hosted the welcome party as per the Tai Yai ethnic group’s tradition and no alcohol was served. 
She said the women who served guests were members of women’s groups and were adults.
Some 40 residents of Mae Sariang also submitted a petition to district chief Pongrapee Chucheun to ask that Boonyarit be transferred out of the province.
Asked about the move, Boonyarit said that the people supposedly pushing for his transfer were |individuals still waiting for Thai nationality and mobilised by a group that would lose benefits due to |his complaints over the child-|prostitution scandal.