Can It Get Worse Than This?

[sriracha john]

Published on January 25, 2005

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Tribunal for Political Office Holders ruled yesterday in a unanimous decision that the National Counter Corruption Commission should be prosecuted for awarding itself a pay hike last year.

The nine-member tribunal ordered the Office of the Attorney General to file charges against the nine NCCC members, saying there was enough cause to suspect wrongdoing in the unilateral decision to increase their salaries.

Legal pundits said the case could lead to another landmark decision on corruption cases following earlier high-profile cases that sent former public health minister Rakkiat Sukthana and his adviser Jirayus Jarassathien to jail on kickback charges.

If the NCCC members are found guilty of abuse of power, they would face mandatory punishment of double jail terms between two and 20 years instead of the normal sentencing of one to 10 years, he said. That is because NCCC members are subject to penalties prescribed by the Criminal Code and anti-corruption laws. Prosecutors are obliged to file criminal suit against the NCCC members within 30 days, he said.

Reacting to the tribunal’s ruling, NCCC member Wichian Wiriyaprasit said he and his colleagues would meet to prepare a defence.

“Personally I am not worried because I am ready to rebut the charges,” he said.

Wichian added that the NCCC would fight its legal battle until it exhausts all of its appeals in the judicial system.

He denied speculation the NCCC members might resign in order to accept responsibility.

“If we are found guilty, then every member has to resign – but not before then,” he said.

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as for the specifics:

The NCCC issued a directive on July 29 giving its chairman a monthly pay increase of Bt45,500 to Bt154,000, and other commissioners received a bump of Bt42,500 to Bt147,000.

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nothing like a voting YOURSELF a little 300% pay raise, eh?

Edited January 25, 2005 by sriracha john

[Ajarn]

John, as alluded to in some of these reports, there are many hands at work behind the scenes... Hands of politicians, of course!

Wattana Assavahem & family for one group. Some statutes of limitations are running out on a major corruption case against his clan in Samut Prakan. Believe it or not, he still has friends in the government who would like to see him go free...

Others are hoping that if indicted and convicted, the NCCC's decisions during the period 'after breaking the law' could possibly be overturned, so they are also pulling out the stops in supporting the Senators who pushed this issue this far...

And those older cases, like the Alpine Golf course case, where Sanoh Thientong, Thaksins chief advisor, wrangled some land from a wat and sold it to Thaksin- more specifically, his housekeeper.... Statutes of limitations coming up on that, and if there are to be new members appointed to the NCCC, Thaksin can put in anyone he wants...

TiT

[bkk_mike]

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as for the specifics:

The NCCC issued a directive on July 29 giving its chairman a monthly pay increase of Bt45,500 to Bt154,000, and other commissioners received a bump of Bt42,500 to Bt147,000.

__________________________________________________________

nothing like a voting YOURSELF a little 300% pay raise, eh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

108,500 to 154,000 (increase of 45,500) is 41.94%

104,500 to 147,000 (increase of 42,500) is 40.67%

Who voted a 300% raise?

Also 154,000 baht might be a good income in Thailand, but it equates to around £25K a year in the UK. (i.e. graduate starting salaries in a lot of places, and that's for the chairman).

(Maybe the MPs are just unhappy because of the press coverage their 30% pay rises got a couple of years ago...)

[sriracha john]

----------------------------------

as for the specifics:

The NCCC issued a directive on July 29 giving its chairman a monthly pay increase of Bt45,500 to Bt154,000, and other commissioners received a bump of Bt42,500 to Bt147,000.

__________________________________________________________

nothing like a voting YOURSELF a little 300% pay raise, eh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

108,500 to 154,000 (increase of 45,500) is 41.94%

104,500 to 147,000 (increase of 42,500) is 40.67%

Who voted a 300% raise?

Also 154,000 baht might be a good income in Thailand, but it equates to around £25K a year in the UK. (i.e. graduate starting salaries in a lot of places, and that's for the chairman).

(Maybe the MPs are just unhappy because of the press coverage their 30% pay rises got a couple of years ago...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

uhmmm.... not sure where your numbers come from, BUT as I posted...

it was 45,500, not 108,500 , to 154,000 and

it was 42,500, not 104,500 , to 147,000

secondly... if we start comparing ANYONE'S salaries here with the UK, it distorts everything way off negating any discussion, eg. a government teacher in Thailand getting 84 pounds per month versus how much a teacher in UK makes?

[Ajarn]

----------------------------------

as for the specifics:

The NCCC issued a directive on July 29 giving its chairman a monthly pay increase of Bt45,500 to Bt154,000, and other commissioners received a bump of Bt42,500 to Bt147,000.

__________________________________________________________

nothing like a voting YOURSELF a little 300% pay raise, eh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

108,500 to 154,000 (increase of 45,500) is 41.94%

104,500 to 147,000 (increase of 42,500) is 40.67%

Who voted a 300% raise?

Also 154,000 baht might be a good income in Thailand, but it equates to around £25K a year in the UK. (i.e. graduate starting salaries in a lot of places, and that's for the chairman).

(Maybe the MPs are just unhappy because of the press coverage their 30% pay rises got a couple of years ago...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

uhmmm.... not sure where your numbers come from, BUT as I posted...

it was 45,500, not 108,500 , to 154,000 and

it was 42,500, not 104,500 , to 147,000

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

John, it wasn't a 300% increase. The raise, as stated, was a raise of 45,500/42,500 to bring up their potential* salary to 154,000/147,000 respectively

*This is not a monthly salary increase, from news reports I've read, and from quotes from the NCCC Chairman. This is for stipends for additional meetings they attend. No attendance means no money...

[sriracha john]

Hahahaha... found this funny version of events on "farang affairs":

NCCC irony

News of the week: National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) under investigation for corruption.

That’s one to slap in the “Only In Thailand Folder”.

Being the National Counter Corruption Commission and all, we wonder if they are going to investigate themselves.

If that happens, we predict that they will find that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that they be charged.

The report will read:

“We found ourselves to be very co-operative in assisting us in our investigations. Our co-operation with us and the fact that we allowed ourselves to search all our records, indicated to us that we had nothing to hide.”

hahahaha

[chico]

maybe they read or hear too many news about western countries :

enron, just to mention one country and one case??

Mayer (ex-secr.gen. to the leader of german opposition) if you prefer europe!