NCCC candidates have links with government

Most favourites for the nine vacant seats on the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) have political connections, according to a classified report from a Senate panel scrutinising the nominees' records. Tomorrow the Senate will be asked to choose nine of the 18 finalists selected in August to replace the nine previous commissioners, who were forced to resign in May following the Supreme Court's ruling they abused their authority by approving themselves a pay hike, bypassing parliamentary scrutiny.

Apart from underlining graft allegations made against almost all the candidates, the report, which will be submitted together with remarks from the scrutinising panel tomorrow, also suggests that of the seven tipped as most likely to win seats, most have close ties with senior figures in the Thai Rak Thai government, including Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

One of the favourites, Pol Gen Darun Sotthibandhu, was the target of several fraud complaints during his former career as adviser to the PM's Office, according to the report. It points out that he was also Mr Thaksin's mentor while the prime minister was studying at the Royal Police Cadet Academy.

The police general denied there was anything wrong.

``I don't see what that has to do with anything. Is Mr Thaksin such a bad person that you cannot be his friend?

``If I have the ability and the credentials fit for the job, then don't rule me out for such a lame reason,'' he said.

Pol Gen Darun said when Mr Thaksin gave him the job of leading the war against drugs it was because of his expertise, not because he knew the prime minister.

``I am proud to have taught Mr Thaksin because he is a great man. Not many people as wealthy as him would have given their time to helping the underprivileged, but Mr Thaksin has,'' he said.

The report says another candidate, Supreme Court Judge Surapol Ekyokha, is the brother of Thai Rak Thai MP and party legal adviser Wichit Plangsrisakul, though he has a different surname.

Mr Wichit said being related did not necessarily mean they had to do favours for each other, as they led separate lives. He declined to make any further comment.

The others who have connections in high places include outgoing army chief Gen Prawit Wongsuwan; Provincial Administration Department director-general Siva Saengmanee; Attorney-General Kampree Kaeocharern; former judge Prasert Khiennilsiri and Naengnoi na Ranong, deputy secretary to the Prime Minister.

Bangkok Senator Chirmsak Pinthong last week revealed that at least one of the members of the 14-member selection panel made up of academics and MPs that picked the 18 NCCC candidates was himself a subject of 18 corruption complaints filed against him with the NCCC.

Five cases had already been accepted for consideration.

``All corruption cases involving state officials and politicians, from the prime minister to ordinary civil servants, must be dealt with by the NCCC.

``Even if the Senate wants to impeach a state official, it must send the case to the commissioners for approval,'' said Senator Chirmsak.

The nine commissioners would remain in their posts for nine years and if a person who was politically motivated was allowed in then the country would be headed for tough times.

Thongbai Thongpao, chairman of the Senate commitee scrutinising candidates, said he would do his best to state the facts while he read out the classified report at the Senate's closed-door meeting tomorrow.

Mr Thongbai said he believed senators still had integrity despite recent events and public criticism.

The Maha Sarakham senator said, however, if cronies with vested interests were picked, then there was nothing the committee could do about it.

likely to stay?

why would it suddenly leave after a thousand years or more?

Exactly. Duh.

So we are going to have a selection of corrupt people selecting from a group of corrupt people who will investigate corruption, brilliant.

At least they are getting in the experts on the subject.

At least they are getting in the experts on the subject.

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Obviously it's not going away, but the increasing absurdity of it's current status as expressed above and initially voiced by the PM with his hollow election promises and the supposed governemental crackdowns on it, might have misled people to thinking he might actually do something about it.

Just needed to confirm for the masses, that corruption will continue to flourish and prosper, under the PM's astute guidance, to unprecedented levels never before seen in the entire history of Thailand.

Well done, Maew!

There´s no corruption in Thailand.

Thaksin told us so in 2001. Don´t you remember?

In fact the title of this thread is very un-thai.

*/ Closed...Not Thai-related,

mods.

Edit: Siht! I´m not a mod and power of thought doesn´t work.

It was fun trying though

Edited November 1, 200520 yr by kayo

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S. So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Actually deserves two more Doc...

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Actually deserves two more Doc...

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maybe you should move that into the joke forum.....

The PM is trying his best to fill his pockets

...and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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He sure is!!!!!

Thaksin rules!

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Actually deserves two more Doc...

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and two more to make it a half dozen...

:cheesy:

edit job: "exceeded limit on emoticons"... sorry to delete 1/2 of brits..

``I am proud to have taught Mr Thaksin because he is a great man. Not many people as wealthy as him would have given their time to helping the underprivileged, but Mr Thaksin has,'' he said.

me thinks their must be 2 definitions of the word underprivileged

in thai definition of underprivileged

1. those with lots of money

2. those with nearly lots of money

in thai privileged

1. multi millionaires

2. multi billionaires

Well , President Toxin must have wept in his jolk yesterday after learning that his Thai Reck Thai party had lost in 2 out of 4 local elections,one in the south uncontested and the Singburi result still questionable. The opposition wins appear significant as they have enough seats now to give them power to to investigate corrupt politicians. I guess if they were all investigated, there'd be no government.

The daily editorials in the English language press must be troubling this great,charitable leader as he waits to collect millions in damages from various parties he feels have wronged his reputation. His haste to muffle the media even more is one indication of his desperation. How he can look the western leaders in the face after cozying up to the madmen that run Burma so that he can sell them telecoms equipment is a mystery to me.

May he and his party come crashing down as soon as possible. Anyone have any opinions on how long the TRT will actually last based on the present political climate in the Kingdom?

...How he can look the western leaders in the face after cozying up to the madmen that run Burma so that he can sell them telecoms equipment  is a mystery to me....

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Ever had a bargirl look you in the face and say "I lub you, tilac"?

Samesame.

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Actually deserves two more Doc...

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I wasn't thinking Brit

Theirs corruption all over the world, including the U.S.  So don't blame the Thai government. The PM is trying his best to run this country, and compared to what Thailand has had in the past, he's doing a heck of a job.

Barry

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Dear Barry,

I don't know which planet you are from, but in Thailand if you are caught out in a corrupt scene you don't go to prison, in the West we go to the slammer.

Think of all the MIB who got caught and got moved to a desk job in a pretty part of LOS or are you really so "out of touch" with reality?

I got this thread moving. Gotcha.

Barry

I got this thread moving. Gotcha.

Barry

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Perhaps not so much of a "gotcha" as your sentiments, amazingly, have been voiced by others who actually and quite astoundingly, meant them.

It DID actually prompt more views and replies, so it that regard they WERE good comments to make.