Sailing Into The Political Wind

[Lite Beer]

HEADLINE MAKER

Sailing into the political wind

Chularat Saengpassa

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation on Sunday

Once reviled by the red shirts as a supporter of the Democrats, Department of Special Investigation chief Tharit Pengdit appears to be firmly on the side of Pheu Thai. He says it's all part of his job

Appointed to the helm of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) during the previous administration, Tharit Pengdit is one of the few top officials to have survived the changing of the political guard. But did he change his colours to stay afloat? Who is he in essence?

In an exclusive interview with The Nation, Tharit grouched about the many news articles that appear to question his integrity.

"I am a government official. My duty is to respond to government policies. It's unfair that I am criticised for doing my duty," he says.

Tharit, 53, explains that when the new government was formed and new policies were issued, he had to go along.

"If you are going to describe this as a change of colour, I will say I needed to change colour then," he says, "But I would like to emphasise that this is because it's has been my duty to do so".

When the Democrat-led government was in power, Tharit played a crucial role in the speedy launch of many probes against its political opponents, among them red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan. Tharit also served with the Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES), which successfully dispersed red-shirt demonstrators at the height of red-shirt movement in 2010. Back then, Tharit was accused of allowing the DSI to become a political tool for the Democrat-led government.

So, when the Pheu Thai Party won the general election last year, it was widely believed that Tharit's days at the DSI were numbered.

Yet, amazingly, he survived, No one knows for sure what Tharit has done to remain in the post. But to many, it is clear Tharit is quick to serve the Pheu Thai-led government.

For example, the DSI has already dropped the outstanding lese-majeste charge against Jatuporn. Equally, the department is no longer looking into an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy, despite having named 39 suspects. Yet when the Pheu Thai Party raised questions about the East Water's Bt1 million donation to the Democrat Party's bank account the other week, Tharit swiftly acted on the allegation even though the account was created solely to raise funds for flood victims in the South two years ago.

"The Democrat Party may not have put the money in its pocket but it benefitted image-wise from the donation," Tharit says, insisting there are grounds for taking action against the Democrats in this case, as the law clearly states a political party cannot receive a donation from a state-run organisation.

Asked about the DSI's decision to drop the case against Jatuporn as well as that against the 39 individuals who were allegedly plotting to overthrow the monarchy, Tharit says simply that under Thai law, suspects are treated as innocent until proven guilty.

"We initially took up the cases because we were convinced there were grounds for looking into the accusations. However, further investigations have found no solid evidence, so we have dropped the cases," he says. "But lese majeste charges are still being pursued against some of the 39 suspects", he notes.

"We have acted on evidence," Tharit stresses. "And I must add that I have not done anything against the law."

Growing up in Chainat, Tharit was not oblivious to politics. His grandfather, Captain Jeab Pengdit, was a close aide to Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkhram. Jeab left Bangkok and relocated to Chainat only after a coup was successfully staged against Plaek.

Tharit became a public prosecutor in 1989, after which he quickly climbed the ranks. When ex premier Thaksin Shinawatra was planning to set up his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party, he recruited the help of many outstanding public prosecutors, among them Tharit and Kanit na Nakorn.

When the TRT formed the government, Tharit was transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister where he worked closely with deputy prime minister Prommin Lertsuridej, one of Thaksin's closest aides before being appointed in 2004 as the DSI's deputy director general.

Although passed over for the top job at the DSI, in 2008, Tharit was named secretary general of the Office of Public Sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC).

When the Democrat Party came to power in 2008, its secretary general and deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban recognised Tharit's potential and in 2009 appointed him DSI director general.

However, with Tharit now apparently on the side of the Pheu Thai-led government, he and Suthep have fallen out, with Suthep filing a complaint against Tharit with the National Anti Corruption Commission for his failure to prosecute Jatuporn and the alleged anti-royalists.

"I have still had much respect for Suthep. He's the one who has brought the country out of the (2010) crisis," Tharit says, adding that anyone in his post would face immense pressure and criticism.

"No matter what decision I make as the DSI chief, it is going to please some but upset some others," Tharit says, "It's natural and I have learnt how to deal with it".

Tharit says he has no regrets about his devoted services to the Democrat Party in the previous administration.

"The Democrat-led administration opted to strictly enforce the laws and I agreed with that decision. Back then, drastic measures were necessary to end the fighting. Had we not ended it, the casualties could have been higher," he said.

Tharit says the situation had changed a lot over the past two years and feels the Pheu Thai-led government's reconciliation policy is a good thing.

"I agree with the reconciliation policy. And because this is a government policy, I am following it," he said.

Tharit's stance is also in line with the current government's plan to seek amnesty for all those involved in the ongoing political conflict and political violence.

"If you remember, I was the only person to recommend that the CRES issue an amnesty two years ago," he says.

-- The Nation 2012-06-03

[Moruya]

Very murky

Sent from my dog.

[OzMick]

The concept of an independent police force is a bit much to grasp for him, when in reality he sees so many major police commanders that are Shinawatra family.

Sent via my Dick Tracy 2-way Wrist Radio

Edited June 3, 2012 by OzMick

[Buchholz]

"I am a government official. My duty is to respond to government policies. It's unfair that I am criticised for doing my duty," he says.

"If you are going to describe this as a change of colour, I will say I needed to change colour then," he says, "But I would like to emphasise that this is because it's has been my duty to do so".

a sad indictment of law enforcement....

the proof being the absence of any mention of it.

.

[noitom]

The idea of the headline didn't seem to be expressed in the article. What exactly is sailing into the political wind?" Some sort of flatulence one would supposed.

[koosdeboer]

Maybe he was working for Thaksin all the time under the former government. Delaying and informing the great devider.

[OzMick]

The idea of the headline didn't seem to be expressed in the article. What exactly is sailing into the political wind?" Some sort of flatulence one would supposed.

I can only assume that you are not a yachtsman. Sailing into the wind requires "tacking", a procedure that involves radical changes of direction.

If you go back a year or so, almost every investigation being conducted by the DSI involved red shirts or PTP. Strangely (or not), those investigations have all been dropped or resolved OUTSIDE of the court system, and they have been replaced with cases which almost entirely feature the word "Democrat".

But, of course, that is not due to political influence, it is due to.........................................buggered if I know what else to call it.

[bigbamboo]

"I am a government official. My duty is to respond to government policies. It's unfair that I am criticised for doing my duty," he says.

"If you are going to describe this as a change of colour, I will say I needed to change colour then," he says, "But I would like to emphasise that this is because it's has been my duty to do so".

a sad indictment of law enforcement....

the proof being the absence of any mention of it.

.

I always believed that politicians were supposed to obey the law not the other way around?

Edited June 3, 2012 by bigbamboo

[ratcatcher]

"I am a government official. My duty is to respond to government policies. It's unfair that I am criticised for doing my duty," he says.

"If you are going to describe this as a change of colour, I will say I needed to change colour then," he says, "But I would like to emphasise that this is because it's has been my duty to do so".

a sad indictment of law enforcement....

the proof being the absence of any mention of it.

.

I feel like a new man now. No need to change colour, just be a good snake.

[MEL1]

It's called being a suck anus to whatever is happening. What a weak man!

If the next PM was a chihuahua he'd bend that low to freck it up it's armse.

Poor show, from a non-entity follower of vacuumed space.

-m.