FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

NACC resolves to indict chief coalition whip 

NACC resolves to indict chief coalition whip 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has resolved to charge the chief coalition whip and two other Phalang Pracharat Party MPs as well as 21 other people in connection with a school project in the two MP’s Nakhon Ratchasima province.

NACC secretary general Worawit Sukboon said on Tuesday that the nine NACC commissioners unanimously resolved on Monday to file corruption charges against Wirat Rattanaset, Thassaneeya Rattanaset and Thassanaporn Ketmethikarun as well as 21 other alleged accomplices.
Wirat is Phalang Pracharat party-list MP and Thassaneeya is Phalang Pracharat MP for Nakhon Ratchasima’s Constituency 2 while Thasssnaporn is Phalang Pracharat MP for Constituency 8 of the province.
Worawit said the NACC has conducted an investigation and found grounds to suspect wrongdoing by the accused. The Commission will now forward its findings to public prosecutors to charge the suspects in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office.
Worawit said the NACC found alleged abuses in the 2012 budget allocation for repairs to a public school in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Constituency 2 by three groups made up of politicians, permanent officials and private sector firms respectively.
In the first group, the NACC found that six political office holders and coordinators had allegedly violated Article 168 of the 2007 charter regarding the allocation of a budget to a school in Nakhon Ratchasima.
This first group was also accused of violating the government project bidding law and the Criminal Code.
He said nine permanent officials were also accused of violating Article 151 and 157 of the Criminal Code and of committing severe disciplinary offences.
The group of nine individuals from private firms was accused of violating the Criminal Code and the government project bidding law, Worawit said.
Worawit said the NACC had found that the 24 accused had collaborated to commit corruption at the policy level and systematically collaborated to allocate the budget to hire a firm close to them to build a futsal court that turned out to be useless.
Worawit said the NACC was certain of the evidence. It had considered Wirat’s complaint but found the evidence he provided in his defence unconvincing, 
Wirat on Tuesday cried foul over the NACC’s decision and threatened to sue the commissioners.
He claimed that the NACC based its decision on an anonymous note accusing him.
Wirat’s lawyer, Thossapol Pengsom, said he would represent Wirat to file a complaint with police alleging the NACC commissioners were abusing the authority of and violating the NACC Act by using unfounded evidence in making a decision.

RELATED
nationthailand