Embattled minister resigns under criticism over Picnic forgery

BANGKOK: -- Embattled Deputy Commerce Minister Suriya Lapwisuthisin has finally decided to resign under the heavy public criticism over his sibling’s involvement in the forgery charge against Picnic Corporation Plc’s executives filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission last week.

Speaking in a press conference, he said he had worked in an honest and transparent manner all along, but needed to leave office to end the public confusion arisen from the allegation against Picnic and to allow the premier to find a suitable person to take up his task on the export promotion.

Mr. Suriya said the ongoing criticism on his performance and family members had made him feel very embarrassed and uneasy.

Since taking the office under the Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawat-led administration, he said he had pledged to work to the utmost for the benefit of people and perform duties to the best of his ability in an honest, transparent and fair manner.

But in the past one month, he had been embarrassed with mounting public criticism against him and his family. To end the confusion, he had decided to resign as the deputy commerce minister.

The minister said he had not yet informed the premier and the commerce minister of his decision and would do it after the press conference.

“I decide to resign because I want to end any confusion and criticism made by the media. Still, I want to seek justice from the media over the forgery charge filed by the SEC against Picnic’s executives, who are my younger brother and sister. I want to ask whether I have to take responsibility when they do something wrong,’’ he said.

--TNA 2005-07-06

There may be more to this story in the future.

Very strange that a minister resigns by making a press release before informing the Prime minister...or was he told to resign before even more revelations appear