Anutin reveals local civil-service exam fraud probe, 4 groups implicated

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday announced the results of a fact-finding investigation into alleged fraud in the recruitment examination for local civil servants.

He was joined by Unsit Sampuntharat, Permanent Secretary for Interior, and Suntithorn Yimlamai, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior.

“In summary, we found a lack of transparency and dishonesty, with attempts to enable cheating so that people connected to one another could benefit and be selected for appointment as local civil servants,” Anutin said.

He said all information that could be disclosed would be made public, provided that it did not damage the case or destroy evidence.

“There should not be such damage, because we have already taken considerable preventive steps,” he said.

Suntithorn said the fact-finding panel had gathered information from relevant witnesses and evidence. Nearly 15 people linked to the case had been invited to provide information, with some appearing in person and others submitting written clarifications.

The panel also requested all possible documents from relevant agencies and invited IT experts to provide information and advice.

Suntithorn said that over the past six to seven days, the panel had initially inspected answer sheets from all 10 examination centres. It found that the contractor had not immediately submitted image files of the answer sheets showing scores to the Department of Local Administration (DLA) after the answer sheets had been checked.

He said officials also conducted random checks on flash drives kept at the DLA, which contained image files of all candidates’ answer sheets, and compared them with the announced score results.

From a random sample of 79 candidates, the panel found that scores shown in copies of answer sheets did not match the processed examination score files in 48 cases, or more than half of the sample.

The investigation also found that scores had been altered in both Part A and Part B of the examination, with significant increases. This resulted in Part A scores exceeding 60%, while Part B scores were unusually high, reaching as much as 90%.

Suntithorn said similar problems were found in the process of announcing candidates eligible to sit Part C of the examination.

The contractor had not submitted the processed results for Part A, Part B and the English-language section to the DLA, which was the legally authorised committee overseeing the examination, via flash drive for approval.

The findings indicated that the DLA had not cross-checked the image files of answer sheets and the marked results for Part A and Part B stored on the flash drives against the processed results submitted by the contractor.

Suntithorn said digital-forensics experts also found an important irregularity after the DLA had approved the Part A list.

After the list of candidates eligible to sit Part C had been announced, the data was still edited before being posted in the official information system.

The investigation found four groups of people involved: DLA officials, the contractor, an external private company, and another group of unidentified individuals.

In terms of preliminary disciplinary action, Suntithorn said the panel had found grounds to accuse five ordinary civil servants under the DLA of disciplinary offences.