PM’s discussions with legal team on house anti-corruption body’s inquiries

PM’s discussions with legal team on house anti-corruption body’s inquiries

BANGKOK (NNT) - The House of Representative’s Corruption Prevention and Suppression Committee has claimed it has the power to summon both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to assist in their inquiries into 2020 Fiscal Year budgeting, and the PM’s incomplete inauguration oath, while the Prime Minister said he needs to consult with his legal team first.

Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has declined to answer questions from members of the media regarding a resolution from the House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, asking the Prime Minister to cooperate with the summons issued by the Corruption Prevention and Suppression Committee chaired by Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, regarding his proposal of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget to the House of Representative, despite a lack of clarity regarding the legitimacy of his power to do so, as his inauguration oath was not fully delivered.

The Prime Minister has only said he is in discussions with his legal team on the matter, and that the inquiry will follow standard procedure should he really need to attend the inquiry in person.

The Prime Minister’s secretariat has issued a letter to the house’s anti-corruption committee questioning the committee’s power to summon the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for questioning, to which Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves responded that the committee is authorized according to Article 129, Paragraph 4 of the constitution, which is related to the committee as the party issuing the invitation, not a third person, describing the sending of the questioning letter by the Prime Minister’s secretariat as inappropriate.

He has insisted that both the Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, be present for the inquiry on the morning of 6th November.

On this matter, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the issuance of a letter from the Prime Minister’s secretariat to the committee was only to seek clarification, before submitting the matter further to the Prime Minister himself for his decision, which will mark the entry into the committee’s procedures. He said the meeting between the Prime Minister and the committee will have to take into consideration convenience and appropriateness.