NACC preliminary probe clears Saksayam of deliberate asset concealment

Next News reported that, at the start of 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled in a case in which 54 MPs petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, alleging that Saksayam Chidchob, then transport minister, had retained a partnership interest and remained the true shareholder and owner of Burijarearn Construction Limited Partnership.

The ruling found Saksayam guilty and terminated his status as transport minister with effect from March 3, 2023, the date on which the Constitutional Court ordered him to stop performing his duties.

Most recently, a source at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) told Next News that, following the court ruling, a complaint was lodged with the NACC seeking an investigation into Saksayam over the alleged intentional concealment of assets, based on his failure to declare that he was the true shareholder and owner of Burijarearn Construction Limited Partnership, as stated in the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

However, NACC officials responsible for the preliminary fact-finding have already concluded their review, determining that Saksayam did not intentionally conceal assets in his declaration because they accepted his claim that he had only learned that the stake in Burijarearn belonged to him when the Constitutional Court delivered its ruling. 

The asset declaration review side concluded that there had been no deliberate concealment, and the preliminary case team also accepted that he had no vested interest, even though the Constitutional Court had already ruled that the stake in Burijarearn belonged to Saksayam.

“It is understood that the preliminary findings have now been finalised and prepared for submission to the NACC board for consideration. It remains to be seen what resolution the board will reach on this matter, whether it will endorse the findings or send the case back for further examination,” the NACC source said.