Prawit watch tally continues to climb as NACC remains mum on case process

[rooster59]

Prawit watch tally continues to climb as NACC remains mum on case process

By Wasamon Audjarint  
Kesinee Tangkaew  
The Nation

 

A pro-democracy activist on Friday filed yet another petition to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, asking it to probe into the Deputy PM’s collection of luxury watches.

 

The letter from Piyarat Chongthep of For Friends Association, which campaigns in support of political prisoners, asked the NACC to probe nine watches seen to be worn by Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan.

 

“It shouldn’t be hard for the NACC to probe such expensive watches,” Piyarat told The Nation. “They should be available in only a few shops in Bangkok. I also submitted related documents that should help the NACC locate the watches’ origins in a few days.”

 

While the NACC has set up a committee with 45 days to investigate the case, Piyarat said he would wait another 30 days for a clear response from the country’s official graft-fighting agency.

 

The nine watches on Piyarat’s list are on top of the 10 watches that anti-graft activist Veera Somkwamkid detailed in a letter last month to the NACC for investigation.

 

Piyarat said that Veera would be among activists he would consult if there was a further need to update the NACC. 

Piyarat recently created the “Prawit’s watch calendar”, a calendar depicting photos of Prawit wearing 12 different watches, one for each month in 2018. “We gave them away for free and didn’t expect them to be this popular. We’ve almost run out of them now,” he said.

 

Both Prawit and the NACC have been largely silent on the issue, resulting in speculation about tight connections between them. The NACC president, Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, once served as the deputy secretary-general to the PM attached to Prawit.

 

The NACC has said it would summon four unnamed people from the private sector to provide testimony on Prawit’s watches, but the organisation has yet to elaborate on the process being taken in the case.

 

Netizens have tracked down photos of Prawit wearing on different occasions different watches from what appears to be an extravagant collection, each worth from the hundreds of thousands to more than one million baht. The scandal arose after Prawit was seen wearing a very expensive Richard Mille watch during the Cabinet photo opt.

 

Facebook page CSI LA, speculates based on reviewing media photos, that Prawit’s has at least 19 luxury watches in his collection with a total estimated value of over Bt30 million.

 

Prawit did not declare total assets valued above Bt200,000 upon entering the Cabinet in 2014.

 

Several activists have filed petitions and called for the NACC to probe to ensure that Prawit is not concealing assets or “unusual wealth”.

 

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court on Friday rejected a police request to issue an arrest warrant against Ekachai Hongkangwan, another pro-democracy activist who repeatedly attempted to give his own watch to Prawit as a symbolic protest.

 

Deputy Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul led a group of officers to make the request on the grounds that Ekachai allegedly broke the Computer Crime bill by, as the police said, posting “obscene information” online.

 

The Court turned down the request, ruling that a summons should be made in advance to notify Ekachai of such a charge.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30336182

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-14

[PatOngo]

The on going saga. Just let him keep the watches, tell the population <deleted> you and get on with the pillaging, the people have come to expect no less!

[rkidlad]

It’s as if (and you can call me cynical) they’re not really doing anything to investigate him. He’s been caught wearing more watches and he’s been given more time. He should just keep buying new watches to be alllwed more time. I mean, he’s really not long for this world at this stage. 

 

Can anyone think of any excuse that would be somewhat plausible and somewhat reasonable for him to be wearing all these watches? A man who helped with a coup in the name of fighting corruption. I can’t think of a single good reason. Him wearing all these watches in his position is just vulgar and abhorrent. 

 

He has to go. 

[AGareth2]

22 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Deputy Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul led a group of officers to make the request on the grounds that Ekachai allegedly broke the Computer Crime bill by, as the police said, posting “obscene information” online.

pointing out corrupt practices among the junta is classified as obscene!

[robblok]

The same arrogance displayed here is what made me dislike the previous government. It seems that there can't be a goverment in place that does not abuse its power and that will go after corruption in their own ranks. Thailand is doomed for as long as there is corruption on this scale.

 

Once in power they all seem to think they don't need to answer questions and do their best to make corruption complaints go away. They are all in it for themselves to get rich. The people are just pawns nothing more to get them in power and then forget about them. Without new blood in politics (and army and police) nothing will ever change. But will the new blood be strong enough to resist temptation.. i doubt it. It cost a lot to become a politician / army general / police general.. and money is needed to make up for that investment. 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

It’s as if (and you can call me cynical) they’re not really doing anything to investigate him. He’s been caught wearing more watches and he’s been given more time. He should just keep buying new watches to be alllwed more time. I mean, he’s really not long for this world at this stage. 

 

Can anyone think of any excuse that would be somewhat plausible and somewhat reasonable for him to be wearing all these watches? A man who helped with a coup in the name of fighting corruption. I can’t think of a single good reason. Him wearing all these watches in his position is just vulgar and abhorrent. 

 

He has to go. 

Yes he has to go he has damaged the image of the junta too much (not that there is that much worth damaging). But his actions that point to corruption are totally undermining the junta who said they were against corruption (probably only if it does not concern them). If they want to look a bit less bad they would have to let him go. I doubt it happens as nepotism still rules in this country. His loyalty is more important than his misdeeds (to them).. totally wrong. 

[sammieuk1]

I for one have run out of watch metaphors hurry up and find the time to conclude.

[bannork]

30 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

I for one have run out of watch metaphors hurry up and find the time to conclude.

Wait a sec

[dinsdale]

Guilty of corruption. Simple as that. But of course nothing will happen. Again it's time for the big mat and the big broom and plenty of sweeping.

[Lupatria]

2 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Can anyone think of any excuse that would be somewhat plausible and somewhat reasonable for him to be wearing all these watches?

Plausible excuses? Just learn from the best:

"I swear - my hand had a life of it's own" - lady boy thief tells Pattaya cops after Iranian phone theft

[wirat69]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

I for one have run out of watch metaphors hurry up and find the time to conclude.

Hang on a tick!!

[Maejo Man]

Does this mean another dead friend?

[Antonymous]

Maybe the story is just an example of the hypocrisy of the powerful. Studies have shown that power turns people into hypocrites: not only are powerful people more likely to cheat, they are also more likely to condemn cheating or other forms of moral failure in other people. One widely reported study here:

 

https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/mygsb/faculty/research/pubfiles/11633/power_and_hypocrisy.pdf

 

The researchers found:

“Across five experiments, irrespective of how power was manipulated or hypocrisy was measured, we found strong evidence that the powerful are more likely to engage in moral hypocrisy than are people who lack power.

 

Across all five experiments, only the powerful showed hypocrisy. We found this pattern irrespective of whether the behavior in question was mildly inappropriate (cheating to obtain extra lottery tickets) or very inappropriate (a legal offense).”

[robertson468]

Clearly Thai Politicians do not subscribe to the notion that they are there to serve the Public and to answer to it!  But there again, not many politicians World Wide subscribe to that notion, including Donald Duck!

[klauskunkel]

I imagine the serial numbers of the watches and the buyer's name are registered in a data base of the respective watch company 

[Bob12345]

18 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I imagine the serial numbers of the watches and the buyer's name are registered in a data base of the respective watch company 

Nope, they are not.

 

The dealer or yourself can add your name to the warranty papers but that is by choice and not put in a database.

 

In case of theft you can contact the watch company and together with the warranty papers show ownership (plus police report? ). It will then be labelled as stolen in their database. When someone brings in the watch for service they will return it to you.

[mikebell]

If you're saving FIVE million a year on a 200K annual wage, you have to spend the money quickly as it just clutters up your bank books.

[johnarth]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

I imagine the serial numbers of the watches and the buyer's name are registered in a data base of the respective watch company 

Too simple, maybe even the price paid

[Happyman58]

Just let him have his watches Least he will be on time for meetings  It does not matter what people say you think he cares?  I wonder if the former PM Yingluk had those watches how would the NACC react? This is showing the Thai  people that the NACC is in the pockets of the gov Nothing will happen  so carry on  

[Dumbastheycome]

9 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

I imagine the serial numbers of the watches and the buyer's name are registered in a data base of the respective watch company 

So  it  would  be  acceptable  to   confiscate  each  watch  and  track    commercial  history  on  watch  face  value?

I  have   5  "replica" Rolex which to  the  eye  and  even  close  examination  appear  to  be   real.  All in  good  working   order  but in total   cost  me  less   than   $300 .

Perhaps  in  submissive  loss  of  face   this  man  could  but  would    not  submit  to  that  !

But  always  possible  he  is  also inwardly laughing at  the   spectacle of  the  result  of  doing  so.

 

[fakename]

Yes, he could just say they are all illegal copies, but he would lose face with all his cronies.  

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, fakename said:

Yes, he could just say they are all illegal copies, but he would lose face with all his cronies.  

Doing so would unleash a much more serious set of problems for him and the government, as they've long been under international pressure to crack down on counterfeit goods and tackle the intellectual property rights issue.