All the pieces coming together to seriously fight corruption, PACC chief says

[webfact]

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
All the pieces coming together to seriously fight corruption, PACC chief says
Piyaporn Wongruang
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- ROOTING OUT corruption is among the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)'s priorities. Shortly after the coup, the NCPO issued order No. 69 to line up measures against corruption and aim them at corrupt civil servants and government officers.

The NCPO placed significant weight on disciplinary action, which has hardly been seriously implemented by the heads of public offices, and gave power to the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to follow up cases.

Late last year, a new anti-corruption centre was established to drive all concerned agencies to work together. The PACC acts as its secretary and has come up with two lists of officers allegedly involved in corruption or malfeasance that contain 46 and 71 names.

The NCPO has transferred the officers to make way for the investigation. With almost three million public officers working for the country, malfeasance and corruption in public administrations is seen by observers as a plague on the country. The Nation talked to PACC secretary general Prayong Preeyachitt about this latest effort by government agencies to tackle corruption under the absolute power of the NCPO.

Q: How successful have the past governments been in tackling corruption? Why is it still rampant, especially involving government agencies?

A: I must say that tackling corruption is very hard because the problem is deep-rooted and widespread. Corruption involves a big chunk of money that often undermines strengths of our society, political structures, and especially legal enforcement bodies like bureaucrats.

Think about the massive number of government officers, about 2.7 million now, and you can see the scale of the problem that may arise. Corruption in public offices is really about the chance to commit it. Without stringent supervision, the problem can be widespread. And this is a critical reason why the problem is still rampant.

To tackle corruption, we need both prevention and suppression. Bureaucratic corruption, as such, must actually be tackled within the offices first before reaching us. But so far, corruption prevention in public offices seems not to work well, while suppression mechanisms like us are still far weaker than we are supposed to be.

Q: What problems do the public offices have, and what are your agency's problems?

A: In any public offices, there actually is disciplinary action against malfeasance or corruption among government officers. The administrative power is well addressed in the Civil Servants Act BE 2551.

But what happens is that office heads often fail to enforce the law against their subordinates, but pass on the burden to anti-corruption bodies like us. Since the PACC was established in 2008, we have had around 19,000 cases in hand.

We have completed initial investigations for 9,000 (of them) - 1,500 of these have been under our committee's scrutiny, 200 have been pinpointed as involving malfeasance or corruption, but only four cases so far have been sent to court because of the lengthy judicial process. My officers have been working non-stop, but with only four cases sent to court, you can see that it hardly affects or changes anything for the better.

Q: Is that the reason why we have seen this government trying to enforce administrative power against corruption in public offices?

A: Today the situation is better because we now see the point and are trying to correct or improve it. The government has set up a new National Anti-Corruption Centre which acts as a central platform where concerned agencies come and work together. Their work is more integrated under its (the body's) directive.

We have around 5,000 public offices, ranging from ministries down to local administrative bodies, and they are now supervised under this body's directive.

We have come to the conclusion together that the current situation is beyond our authority to deal with it. So that is the reason why the centre was set up to back us.

The NCPO also issued Order No. 69, which gives the PACC power to follow up the cases from them. From now on, if office heads are negligent in taking action against their subordinates, they will have to deal with us and face disciplinary action too.

The challenge is that these measures are still temporary. So, the government is now pushing a new law to enforce more disciplinary action as we consider that it is the first and foremost measure against corruption.

In the meantime, suppression mechanisms will be strengthened, with criminal cases sped up. And a court department has also been set up to be directly responsible for corruption cases. So, we have closed all the loopholes.

Q: What about your office - have any enhancements been made?

A: Three main issues need to be resolved. You must know that we are under the Justice Ministry and being under a bureaucrat office compromises our independence.

To suppress corruption, you cannot avoid investigating big names above you. And in the past, I accept that it was hard for us in some cases to pursue because politics did not allow us to.

The PACC has been running for six years now and I am its eighth secretary general. The PACC is expected to be under the Prime Minister's Office and that would help maintain our independence.

To ensure its independence, its secretary general will be picked by the NACC's selection panel, with our committee proposed by the Cabinet, the NACC and the Office of Auditing General.

Secondly, we currently have limited authority. To conduct an investigation, we need to ask for cooperation from concerned agencies. But with the ongoing law amendments, we will be able to enforce the law to get information from them.

The investigation process will also be shortened so the cases can be sped up via the secretary general's increased power to make an order for scrutiny. And definitely, we will be authorised to follow up disciplinary examinations to speed up disciplinary actions.

Q: By leveraging all of these improvements, do you think the problem will be eradicated?

A: I cannot say that we will get rid of the problem completely. I will say that it will be more difficult to commit corruption.

But once done, a case will be sped up. In the past, some sectors just sat back and took no action. But from now on they will be forced to act.

Bureaucrat corruption occurs in public offices, so it is the offices' duty and the duty of their heads to do something. If that is beyond their authority, we will get in and help.

Look at Hong Kong' lesson. They have everything they need to tackle corruption - a political will, good laws, government and public supports, effective measures, public awareness, and cooperation. Now we have almost everything like them now. It is just a matter of levelling all these up to the point that we can tackle corruption more effectively.

And once we can contain corruption, our society will be strong enough. A new election is then expected to be more clean and transparent, our politics will be full of governance, and we will then be able to move on firmly.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/All-the-pieces-coming-together-to-seriously-fight--30263318.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-29

[BigBadGeordie]

PACC set up in 2008.

19,000 cases in hand.

9,000 initial investigations completed.

1,500 under committee scrutiny.

200 involving malteasance or corruption.

4 cases sent to court.

"My officers have been working non-stop" PACC Secretary General Prayong Preeyachitt.

Jesus wept!

[ezzra]

There is corruptions all over the world, the big different is that in other countries you will end up

in jail loosing everything, not so in Thailand.. and this is where the problem lies....

The solution is simple really, name and shame, prosecute, strip of rank and titles,

confiscate all ill gotten, illegally procured wealth and jail for lengthy prison time,

But no, here in Thailand, apparently being dishonest is a way of life and an acceptable trait. the crooks

are being 'transferred ' to another post to save face and to be able, given time, to continue their errant ways,

[NongKhaiKid]

" All the pieces are coming together. " which seems to be a euphemism for all the pieces simply get transferred.

Since the corrupting fighting junta took over only one one major case has appeared in court and that was provoked by circumstances we can't talk about plus it was made abundantly clear that the assets of members of the NCPO were off limits in line with the PM's promise of total transparency in all govt functions.

[Nigeone]

They have no chance..ie zero....if they can't sort out the Jet Ski etc what chance have they got with officials..and no mention of the main players in most people's eyes been sorted! the BiB...and the Army!...and hey as above said 4 cases in 7 years out of 9000 Mmmmm ..maybe they should sort out there legal procedure first and streamline it otherwise it's not going to happen...period! At the rate there going there will be a projected 8 cases to court by 2022 which only leaves 8992 to go without adding to the arrests...brain dead !! Sad as I so wish they would sort it out..I used to tell my x wife how I thought they would sort it but I was so naive those years ago...it's not going to happen is it!!

[Nigeone]

I'm my country stuff goes on but when there caught and they usually are eventually they get punished..as Ezzra said the problem here is its not punished and these sideways movements and inactive post nonsense has to stop and real punishments handed out otherwise they don't stand a chance.. give a period of grace, not very long! And implement the laws, lock up punish seize assets etc regardless who they were but there lies the problem..there all in it aren't they...I have just been trying to think of one area in Thai society that might be clean but I've given up..right from a early age at school etc there at it and everybody grows up thinking that mentality is allowed and the norm....

[Manbing]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/836530-thai-officials-on-the-graveyard-shift/?utm_source=newsletter-20150629-0757&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

The above story is about the displaced civil servants.

The growing number of civil servants need to be managed under an easy to employ disciplinary action for corruption and for poor work practices.

The other half of the problem is that these bureaucrats have no motivation to do their jobs properly. Where are the performance standards they need to meet?

Start sacking them and see how fast they decide to up their game.

I'd like to see the dept of Immigration as the first target.

Those lazy slackers need a hard kick in the work modes.

[OneZero]

I'm my country stuff goes on but when there caught and they usually are eventually they get punished..as Ezzra said the problem here is its not punished and these sideways movements and inactive post nonsense has to stop and real punishments handed out otherwise they don't stand a chance.. give a period of grace, not very long! And implement the laws, lock up punish seize assets etc regardless who they were but there lies the problem..there all in it aren't they...I have just been trying to think of one area in Thai society that might be clean but I've given up..right from a early age at school etc there at it and everybody grows up thinking that mentality is allowed and the norm....

A feudalistic patronage history and saving face are cultural traits that are extremely slow to change, especially with Thai's so proud of their never being colonized or under the influence of European led bureaucratic systems. Folks are not quickly going to openly change their support for the big guy in town, let alone "rat" on him, when he influences the underlings chances for opportunity in every imaginable way. The "benefits" of patronage flow in both directions. Likewise the big guy is likely going to have a hard time successfully implementing programs if he loses underling support by upsetting their own little rice bowls. These cultural traits are indeed slow to change,

[Eric Loh]

I plead in your honest and earnest effort to seriously fight corruption, please do not neglect power corruption. Corrupt individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit themselves and their kinds. Its showing up more and more as each day passed.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

well as long as you have one political group that was working hard to give amnesty to some 25,000 cases of corruption, it is easy to understand why the culture against corruption is not changing here.

They still think they can do corrupt business as usual and one day some greedy, even more corrupt bunch will come along, wave their magic wand and make it all ok.

[Yunla]

The first step is to admit there is a problem, and I am glad to see this being spoken about openly in recent media articles.

Fixing the corruption problem will take many generations. The work will be on the shoulders of new generations who have grown up being told in school and in the press, that corruption is seriously harming the nation from within. Previous generations were not told this so openly, the blame for the nation hitting rock-bottom was traditionally placed at the feet of individual hate-figures, bad luck, or external groups.

The truth is slowly being accepted, that no society on Earth can prosper or even survive when there is macro-corruption devouring core funds that should be used selflessly for the good of the entire nation. Corruption harms everyone's future, their wealth & children, and the development of critically-important infrastructure. It is the same when your whole house is being devoured by termites. Future generations will have to apply the bug-zapper with steely-eyed resolve.

[halloween]

I plead in your honest and earnest effort to seriously fight corruption, please do not neglect power corruption. Corrupt individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit themselves and their kinds. Its showing up more and more as each day passed.

But it was OK when they were elected, even by the party list?

[h90]

There is corruptions all over the world, the big different is that in other countries you will end up

in jail loosing everything, not so in Thailand.. and this is where the problem lies....

The solution is simple really, name and shame, prosecute, strip of rank and titles,

confiscate all ill gotten, illegally procured wealth and jail for lengthy prison time,

But no, here in Thailand, apparently being dishonest is a way of life and an acceptable trait. the crooks

are being 'transferred ' to another post to save face and to be able, given time, to continue their errant ways,

"you will end up in jail loosing everything"....do a reality check about other countries.

There is just a better shop, but the big fish don't go in jail as well.

[Eric Loh]

I plead in your honest and earnest effort to seriously fight corruption, please do not neglect power corruption. Corrupt individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit themselves and their kinds. Its showing up more and more as each day passed.

But it was OK when they were elected, even by the party list?

It was OK as long as long as it is within the law. You break the law and you are duly punished as in the Thawil case. Contrast that with the coup breaking the law under Section 113 of the Thai Criminal Code, they cant be punished because they tore up the law and granted themselves amnesty which except the junta from guilt and liability. You cant live in denial all the time.

[wabothai]

which pieces are coming together?

[Jimlove]

Another idiot opened his mouth and polluted the air with BS ....

[quandow]

I get quite angry now when I see these articles, having personally witnessed what a CROCK it all is! Corruption at the level it has reached in Thailand will NEVER be gone until you remove the puppet masters pulling the strings at the top. It's like most governments throughout the world, which are merely fronts for corporate corruption.

[Srikcir]

"tackle corruption under the absolute power of the NCPO."

When an organization grabs power through military force and holds itself UNACCOUNTABLE under the Rule of Law, how can anyone think that it can "tackle corruption" without STARTING WITH ITSELF FIRST?

Prayut needs to LEAD by EXAMPLE, return sovereignty of the nation back to the people, and submit the NCPO to Thailand's Organic Laws.

[soalbundy]

couldn't they just do something simpler like a Thai mars mission with all Thai technology ?

[LuckyNo4]

I'm my country stuff goes on but when there caught and they usually are eventually they get punished..as Ezzra said the problem here is its not punished and these sideways movements and inactive post nonsense has to stop and real punishments handed out otherwise they don't stand a chance.. give a period of grace, not very long! And implement the laws, lock up punish seize assets etc regardless who they were but there lies the problem..there all in it aren't they...I have just been trying to think of one area in Thai society that might be clean but I've given up..right from a early age at school etc there at it and everybody grows up thinking that mentality is allowed and the norm....

A feudalistic patronage history and saving face are cultural traits that are extremely slow to change, especially with Thai's so proud of their never being colonized or under the influence of European led bureaucratic systems. Folks are not quickly going to openly change their support for the big guy in town, let alone "rat" on him, when he influences the underlings chances for opportunity in every imaginable way. The "benefits" of patronage flow in both directions. Likewise the big guy is likely going to have a hard time successfully implementing programs if he loses underling support by upsetting their own little rice bowls. These cultural traits are indeed slow to change,

"especially with Thai's so proud of their never being colonized or under the influence of European led bureaucratic systems"

Yep they should be proud that the British hated the french so much and vice versa back in those days, cos that's the only reason these people aren't speaking English or French today.

[BigBadGeordie]

I'm my country stuff goes on but when there caught and they usually are eventually they get punished..as Ezzra said the problem here is its not punished and these sideways movements and inactive post nonsense has to stop and real punishments handed out otherwise they don't stand a chance.. give a period of grace, not very long! And implement the laws, lock up punish seize assets etc regardless who they were but there lies the problem..there all in it aren't they...I have just been trying to think of one area in Thai society that might be clean but I've given up..right from a early age at school etc there at it and everybody grows up thinking that mentality is allowed and the norm....

A feudalistic patronage history and saving face are cultural traits that are extremely slow to change, especially with Thai's so proud of their never being colonized or under the influence of European led bureaucratic systems. Folks are not quickly going to openly change their support for the big guy in town, let alone "rat" on him, when he influences the underlings chances for opportunity in every imaginable way. The "benefits" of patronage flow in both directions. Likewise the big guy is likely going to have a hard time successfully implementing programs if he loses underling support by upsetting their own little rice bowls. These cultural traits are indeed slow to change,

"especially with Thai's so proud of their never being colonized or under the influence of European led bureaucratic systems"

Yep they should be proud that the British hated the french so much and vice versa back in those days, cos that's the only reason these people aren't speaking English or French today.

What do you mean, the British hated the French "back in those days"?

Has something changed and I missed it?

[halloween]

I plead in your honest and earnest effort to seriously fight corruption, please do not neglect power corruption. Corrupt individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit themselves and their kinds. Its showing up more and more as each day passed.

But it was OK when they were elected, even by the party list?

It was OK as long as long as it is within the law. You break the law and you are duly punished as in the Thawil case. Contrast that with the coup breaking the law under Section 113 of the Thai Criminal Code, they cant be punished because they tore up the law and granted themselves amnesty which except the junta from guilt and liability. You cant live in denial all the time.

That's great Eric. I look forward to you in future decrying even elected governments from criminal acts, like issuing criminals passports, and nepotism, like using the party list to appoint your family, cronies and criminals. It will be refreshing.

[torpedo1970]

Oh my, another crackdown....... for how long?? wait for it........ a month...

Just a lot of smoke and mirrors so PACC can save face from the pressure the PM is putting on....

End result.... nothing or a couple of small fishes to court for show!

After all TIT and we know it!

[socksy01]

^{It's not the 1st of April is it?}

[lujanit]

Blah blah blah. Words are cheap.

[Thai at Heart]

Except a uncorrupt police force and independent judiciary....

[AlQaholic]

couldn't they just do something simpler like a Thai mars mission with all Thai technology ?

They actually have a space program with the ultimate goal of reaching Mars, And I think they will successfully land on Mars before the problem of corruption is solved.

The only way as I see it is to commit massive forces on the ground in every public office and stamp out corruption by force and close supervision using foot soldiers. This of course with the assumption that the soldiers themselves are not corrupt.......ohhh wait,,, no that won't work then. Think....think...think....OK only way is to replace the whole population over night.

Edited June 29, 2015 by AlQaholic

[bamukloy]

Nothing will change until they get rid of the archaic laws that the crooks hide behind.

Defamation would be one to eliminate altogether, while the other contentious ones could be altered so they are not used as a political tool.

You only have to look at the people who rely on these laws to see they arent being used for the purpose intended.

[tajtom]

Professional story tellers

They should write novels

[Traveling Sailor]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/836530-thai-officials-on-the-graveyard-shift/?utm_source=newsletter-20150629-0757&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

The above story is about the displaced civil servants.

The growing number of civil servants need to be managed under an easy to employ disciplinary action for corruption and for poor work practices.

The other half of the problem is that these bureaucrats have no motivation to do their jobs properly. Where are the performance standards they need to meet?

Start sacking them and see how fast they decide to up their game.

I'd like to see the dept of Immigration as the first target.

Those lazy slackers need a hard kick in the work modes.

Not all immigration officers are slackers. I go to Samui Immigration every three months. They are always busy and very patient with the clueless, ill-dressed folks that show up with their holier-than-thou attitudes. I give the Samui Immigration staff kudos for working in such cramped quarters and having to put up with all the euro-trash, ugly americans, etc. that show up.