Anti-corruption commissioner resigns

BANGKOK: -- One of the nine anti-corruption commissioners has resigned after the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that they had abused their power by unilaterally awarding themselves a pay rise without parliamentary approval.

The commissioner Pinit Arayasiri did not give any reason for his resignation in the letter he handed into the government on Friday.

Mr. Pinit was the first commissioner to voluntarily resign after the court gave two-year suspended jail sentences to all nine members of the National Counter Corruption Commission.

However, it remains unclear whether the other anti-graft busters will also quit.

If they resign, the Constitution requires that a committee must be set up to select the new members of the anti-corruption body.

The selection committee must include the President of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court President, the Head of the Constitutional Court and rectors of the state-run educational institutions.

All the political parties in the House of Representatives must also select five representatives to the committee. There are currently only four political parties in the lower house – the ruling Thai Rak Thai, the Democrats, Chat Thai and Mahachon.

--TNA 2005-05-27

Right, I saw an article on this in the Nation.

The irony is staggering.

ฺำThere's more to this than meets the eye.

The TRT Government does not want a robust NCCC.

It is keeping them off-balance deliberately.

The 9 must have been close to rooting out some dark influences within the present government.

The questions are: who is involved in the corruption? and does it involve party members who are close to the prime minister?

The remaining 8 are to hold a meeting to-day to discuss their next move.

ฺำThere's more to this than meets the eye.

The TRT Government does not want a robust NCCC.

It is keeping them off-balance deliberately.

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I completely agree. The only way Thaksin ever escaped losing his PM status was by rigging the courts. He has continued in the same vein since then, it seems.

Frankly, there does seem to be some justification for these charges, but I feel the main immediate issue was to protect the participants in the Klong Dan scandal by causing the statutes of limitations to come to play before anyone was directly charged. Lots of politicians with their fingers in this pie, it seems. Wattana Assamahave (sp) is maybe near the top, but he's known for always sharing in the spoils, which is why his family is still the main power-broker in Samut Prakan. It was diluted, to a some degree, in the elections before the last ones, but his roots remain in place. It's certain that he has support from above...

Must be some big other names, too, for the papers still only allude to them, only naming a few karachagan fall guys, as in normal...

And Sanoh Thienthong, as is his style, has jumped in to create more chaos with TRT as a get-back to Thaksin and as a a reminder of his power- oops! It seems his friends are backing away to favour Thaksin.... I think his wife and Thaksin's wife should scratch it out on ITV, winner take TRT.

I hope they all join Chavalit, Chalerm, et all, in the Dinosaur Tarpit soon

Update:

All anti-graft commissioners resign

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's all nine anti-graft commissioners who were sentenced for a two-year suspended jail term by the Supreme Court last week have already resigned.

The nine members of the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) were ruled guilty of unilaterally raising their own pay-rise last year without a parliamentary approval.

The case was lodged by the Senate's special commission on corruption and irregular practices.

One of the nine anti-graft commissioner, Pinit Arayasiri, resigned on Friday after the court's verdict.

The rest eight anti-graft commissioners tendered their resignation this morning amid growing pressure from members of the parliament (MPs), according to journalists.

A group of over 120 MPs, led by the opposition Democrat Party, has planned an impeachment move against the rest eight NCCC members to press them to resign.

All the nine anti-graft commissioners said they would hold a press conference here this afternoon to inform the public of their stance and decision.

--TNA 2005-05-30

Were they the Counter Corruption Committee or the Pro Corruption Committee ?

Graft panel quits after guilty ruling

From correspondents in Bangkok

May 30, 2005

THAILAND'S nine anti-corruption commissioners had resigned, one of them said today, after the Supreme Court found them guilty of abusing their powers and helping themselves to extra allowances.

"Everyone of us has tendered their resignation with immediate effect," Vichien Viriyaprasit, a member of the National Counter Corruption Commission, the top anti-graft body, said.

The court in a 6-to-3 vote last week said the commissioners, mostly retired top police officers or state legal experts, were "guilty of misusing their authority to benefit their own interest".

But it suspended their two-year jail terms due to what said was "outstanding" work in the past.

The commissioners were also found guilty of boosting their monthly allowances.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...55E1702,00.html

with their geographic location to china , thailand has a chance of riding the coattails of the chinese surge to being an economic superpower - but this bright future could be put in jeopardy by the near sightedness and greed of a few - this corruption at the top should be viewed as treason by thais.

The questions are:  who is involved in the corruption?

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Who is not involved in corruption?

There is more to this than meets the eye, especially the public eye. Which certain powers always try to hood wink>