Officials accused of graft want to know why they were shown the door

[Lite Beer]

CORRUPTION
Officials accused of graft want to know why they were shown the door
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A NUMBER of civil servants and local administrative-body employees accused of corruption that had been transferred through the use of the draconian Article 44 of the interim charter want to know why they were removed.

In all, 71 high-ranking civil servants and members of local administrative bodies were transferred.

Ex-National Health Security Office secretary-general Dr Winai Sawasdiworn pleaded for fairness over his abrupt transfer on Thursday with immediate effect.

The transfer was issued by the junta via Order 19/2015.

A large number of NHSO officials bade farewell to Winai and launched a signature campaign to petition the authorities over the transfer.

Winai told the media said he had cooperated with the military's ruling National Council for Peace and Order in performing his duties and gave broad explanations about his work and how it aimed to benefit the country.

He said scrutiny into NHSO projects subject to criticism and allegations of wrongdoing had not found anything suspicious.

NHSO board member Dr Wichai Chokewiwat said the agency, which is under the Public Health Ministry, had been working with the ministry without friction despite personal feuds between Winai and the ministry's former permanent secretary Narong Sahametapat.

"Both the NHSO and the ministry had been working even closer and better after Narong was transferred away to now be an adviser to the PM's Office Ministry," he said.

Another transferee, Songkhla Hospital director Dr Preecha Wongsilarat, said he would comply with the transfer order but was confident the investigation would eventually reveal the truth. He was greeted by flowers and shouts of goodbye from hospital staff yesterday.

Under Order 19/2015, reasons were not given for the transfers so it is not known what the allegations are.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha repeated that anyone found innocent in accordance with regular administrative regulations would be reinstated.

The chairwoman of the Lampang Provincial Administrative Organisation, Sunee Sommee, said she was stunned and upset by |her transfer. She said she had no choice but to follow the order and |the upcoming investigation would indicate the reason behind her |transfer.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said officials at the C-8 rank or in an equivalent position who had been transferred would be investigated through Article 44-enabled processes, while those at lower levels would be investigated by their respective ministries.

He said all 71 were moved to make away for the investigations.

The transferees allegedly committed their offences before the May 22, 2014, coup and most cases involve corruption. A new list of officials who allegedly committed offences after the coup is coming.

Prayut called on the media and the public not to criticise the transferees, adding that the justice system would further scrutinise anyone found guilty by administrative investigations.Justice Minister Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya said the investigations into the 71 officials' alleged wrongdoing would be professionally and fairly conducted. "It would be verdicts to be made through court trials that would eventually hand the judgements," he added.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Officials-accused-of-graft-want-to-know-why-they-w-30263231.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-27

[trogers]

There is no conscience left in a person when morality in him is dead.

[Robby nz]

Could it possibly be that investigations carried out have found evidence of corruption in all cases ?

But even it there has what does it matter that's normal.

Well it was normal and if the country is to progress there needs to be a new 'normal' so get used to it.

[greenchair]

Surely they have the right to at least know what they are accused of ???

[thesetat2013]

Surely they have the right to at least know what they are accused of ???

Most or all propably know already what they had done in the past that would lead to this action. However all will be in denial or move the blame elsewhere to escape punishment.

[canuckamuck]

Cloud Cuckoo Land: Why on earth would you transfer someone before completing the investigation? I can see putting someone on suspension pending results, but not setting them up in a new job.

Obviously the punishment for being found corrupt will be the continuation of the transfer. What does someone have to do to get fired in this country?

[candide]

Surely they have the right to at least know what they are accused of ???

It sounds reasonnable! Obviously this opinion is not shared by all!

[bangkokfrog]

Off coure it is only fair for the officials to be told the grounds for the action. But since when has Thai justice been fair?

With so many of them having been signalled out, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some (mostly) innocent ones who have been included for political / payback reasons... a bit like Thaksin's "drug war" but without the need for bloodshed !!!

Edited June 26, 2015 by bangkokfrog

[tx22cb]

These people don't get it.

It's martial law/dictatorship, or the equivalent. Courts/judiciary can be overridden.

OK, the NCPO will make some mistakes ... but then you're SOL.

They'd better be careful or they could be arrested for protesting the decisions of the NCPO.

[ezzra]

Excuse me? why? really ? you should have shown the jail door instead the door out,

but in their defense I can understand why they're puzzled, very few, if any suffered the

consequences of their ill conducts before the, so why them?

[worgeordie]

We did nothing wrong !,OK but i bet you would not take

a lie detector test,or welcome the tax authority look into

your financial affairs.

regards Worgeordie

[Manbing]

Unfortunately the civil service is deemed a job for life.

People might not actually be guilty of corruption but guilty of lack of oversight or unable to be proved guilty as there is a lack of evidence but plenty of smoke to cause concerns.

Then it would be prudent to say nothing and transfer, avoiding the opportunity for the wrong people to claw their way back to the same or other like position to continue on.

Sure it would be great to go around following due process every time, but often life isn't so black and white.

I mean common who's gonna admit their corruption in public.

[Kerryd]

I think the issue is that they've been corrupt for so long, in a system that literally expects everyone to be corrupt, that they don't actually think what they are doing is wrong.

[Tatsujin]

There is no conscience left in a person when morality in him is dead.

Yeah, but you have to have had a conscience and morals in the first place ...

[oneday]

This is what they do BEFORE they actually have evidence.

This is also what it means to live under a military government and article 44.

Welcome to your new life as a Thai citizen.

[arfurcrown]

Got caught on the fiddle.

Fingers in the till ..

Goodbye.

You always remove the rubbish if you want a clean environment

Edited June 27, 2015 by arfurcrown

[robblok]

This is what they do BEFORE they actually have evidence.

This is also what it means to live under a military government and article 44.

Welcome to your new life as a Thai citizen.

They do similar things in the Netherlands, they transfer you out or keep you out of your office during an investigation so you can't disturb the investigation. Seems logical to me. But don't let that come in the way of a good junta bash.

It was also said they would be returned if no evidence is found. So that clearly shows they want to investigate stuff.

In most cases there is suspicion before there is hard evidence, that is what an investigation is for and that works just a lot better if the one who is under investigation cant use his power to influence it, that is why they are transferred out. just see it as a suspension during investigation.

[impulse]

But we've been paying the right percentage to all the right people... It's not fair!

Edited June 27, 2015 by impulse

[halloween]

Cloud Cuckoo Land: Why on earth would you transfer someone before completing the investigation? I can see putting someone on suspension pending results, but not setting them up in a new job.

Obviously the punishment for being found corrupt will be the continuation of the transfer. What does someone have to do to get fired in this country?

You can't see because you're not looking at it the right way. Accusations with apparent grounds have been made so the boss is transferred so he can't impede the investigation. He is transferred so that he has to show up elsewhere every day, so they know if he is suddenly taking a long vacation.

Punishment will be from the courts. There is nothing "obvious" about your claim that the transfer is the punishment or that they won't be fired.

[quandow]

I've personally witnessed the transfer of one official. What this means is that they are reduced to receiving only their base salary which does not afford them the luxury they formerly enjoyed. This particular individual has had to liquidate all his assets just to survive, and the banks are repossessing his cars.

This would be GREAT if they didn't fill the vacuum with another official, a member of the "correct party affiliation," who resumes collecting his graft.

[Pinot]

There is so much corruption it must be difficult to figure out where to start. I would think that they would be going after the low hanging fruit in this initial round.

The first thing to do is get these suspects out of their jobs so the investigation can proceed. That's what is being done. By the look of the list of who has been transferred, all of the positions were ripe for a corruption probe.

I'm confident this corruption investigation is moving forward as it should.

[gandalf12]

I would assume they would have been told the reason if not all the details. Until Thailand can get a grip of corruption the country will never really flourish.

[wabothai]

How aere you going to fight corruption when everybody is corrupt?

[Srikcir]

There is no conscience left in a person when morality in him is dead.

Aren't you being a little harsh on General Prayut?

[monkey4u]

I think its time to follow China when it comes to graft and corruption

A bullet shot into their heads help to relieve this situation

[Srikcir]

"reasons were not given for the transfers so it is not known what the allegations are."

These people have been deemed to be suspects of unspecified crimes based on unspecified evidence and removed from their positions without due process of law provided by the Organic Laws for Civil Service.

As a minimum the Junta is intimidating civil service into absolute allegence to the Junta in preparation of an elected government that must face an unelected bureaucarcy loyal to the military in their governance of the nation. It matters little to the Junta whether any of the accused are actually guilty of any crimes. It's the indignity people are being put through that is meant to control their future behavior.

If by coincidence crimes are uncovered, all the better. At worst if bureaucrats are returned to the positions after finding no crimes, they will be more compliant to military political policies in the future. These transfers are just another form of "attitude adjustment" but without any specific crime.

Welcome to the Junta's Reform of Justice.

[Ulic]

And the replacements, are they same level of corruption, (but just better connected to the power

structure,) or will thee be a genuine change.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Ulic

[sammygood]

don't they deserve a second chance, just like police officers, politicians, etc ????

[SOTIRIOS]

....how about some penalties....

[NickJ]

I could be happy with say.........71 per day average.....what a joke.

It would be like stopping a bank robbery and taking one robber away and then walk away saying....carry on.