Many complaints, few results from Thai Anti-Graft Agency

[webfact]

Many complaints, few results from Thai Anti-Graft Agency

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

 

  

Time and again, petitioners make a splash and garner public attention holding news conferences to file complaints with the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Most languish or get dropped.

 

BANGKOK — When someone found documents online showing officials bought Government House microphones for 140,000 baht each, he took his complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, or NACC.

 

When a Democrat MP believed he found evidence of massive graft in the rice subsidy program overseen by the government at the time, he also took it to the commission.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/crime-crime/2017/02/09/few-results-from-thai-anti-graft-agency-nacc/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-02-09

[candide]

The NACC is selective.  Not really surprising news....

[The Old Bull]

What happened last year when they got too close to the power? Didn't the guy have to take off to Australia, they tried to get him back but the Aussies wouldn't send him back? 

[JAG]

What happened last year when they got too close to the power? Didn't the guy have to take off to Australia, they tried to get him back but the Aussies wouldn't send him back? 

Yes that is so. What is interesting (to me at least) is that the very senior policeman who fled understood exactly what he was up against ( presumably from long experience ) and exactly where to go.

Kudos to him for doing what he did, I just wonder for how long he had accepted corruption and abuse of privilege as " part of the job" as he progressed through the ranks...

[clockman]

It is in there genes. From birth.

[Brer Fox]

With such poor results it would be easy to believe the Thai Anti-Graft Agency could itself be susceptible to graft from the accused in the complaints. 

[piersbeckett]

From the 'full story', one can only gather that the department lacks checks and balances, transparency, is inefficient and selective; not really conducive to a properly run government department concerned with corruption; the words, 'farcical' and 'pretense' spring to mind.

 

No need to have a costly department, actions speak louder than words; if justice and fairness, peace, security and improved prosperity for all is the aim, strengthen the 'rule of law' but that would mean conceding power to that rule so that no individual or group was above it, even the rulers would be under the law.  I wonder if Thainess, in reality could weather that; 'face' would be lost; what would be the point of power if it were restricted by law, the powerful would be no better than well paid servants of the people!?

 

The safeguard of democracy is, I'm told, an educated and informed citizenry; the importance of such is that they have the analytical and intellectual wherewithal to recognise and challenge the inevitable corruption of government; without such an education again inevitably, the people become pawns in the hands of unscrupulous bureaucrats. - Adapted from an article by John W. Whitehead - President of The Rutherford Institute & author of Battlefield America).

 

My view is that whilst the citizenry are generally, poorly educated and poorly informed and therefore don't have much of a safeguard at present, there are enough educators and informers amongst them that given the chance and with the political will, they could change that and there are enough of the citizenry that realise the problem and want it changed.

[JAG]

From the 'full story', one can only gather that the department lacks checks and balances, transparency, is inefficient and selective; not really conducive to a properly run government department concerned with corruption; the words, 'farcical' and 'pretense' spring to mind.
 
No need to have a costly department, actions speak louder than words; if justice and fairness, peace, security and improved prosperity for all is the aim, strengthen the 'rule of law' but that would mean conceding power to that rule so that no individual or group was above it, even the rulers would be under the law.  I wonder if Thainess, in reality could weather that; 'face' would be lost; what would be the point of power if it were restricted by law, the powerful would be no better than well paid servants of the people!?
 
The safeguard of democracy is, I'm told, an educated and informed citizenry; the importance of such is that they have the analytical and intellectual wherewithal to recognise and challenge the inevitable corruption of government; without such an education again inevitably, the people become pawns in the hands of unscrupulous bureaucrats. - Adapted from an article by John W. Whitehead - President of The Rutherford Institute & author of Battlefield America).
 
My view is that whilst the citizenry are generally, poorly educated and poorly informed and therefore don't have much of a safeguard at present, there are enough educators and informers amongst them that given the chance and with the political will, they could change that and there are enough of the citizenry that realise the problem and want it changed.

Moreover, if I can follow your last paragraph, the corruption in this countries governance is so widespread, prevalent even, that even a poorly educated population can recognise it. Poorly educated does not mean stupid, nor does it necessarily mean uninformed. The near total penetration of social media to those under ( say 40), means that they are now better informed and able to exchange views. It will bring pressure for change, and when it happens I fancy it will be fast.

[Nigeone]

Nobody surely is surprised by this headline. Too incestous and involving to many sectors of officialdom to be able to sort it out ! 

[darksidedog]

19 minutes ago, Nigeone said:

Nobody surely is surprised by this headline. Too incestous and involving to many sectors of officialdom to be able to sort it out ! 

Bureaucracy and incompetence, with too many cases and not enough resources.

Not to mention people in high places ensuring investigatiions go nowhere.

Not really surprising that their results are so poor.

At least they have managed to gain some convictions.

Better than the Police Ombudsman though, where you have complaints against the police investigated by the police and no wrongdoing found.

 

[Get Real]

Change take time, as I posted in many places already. Just have patiance and wait and see. Not at all as bad as everybody here wants to make it, or are going to make it. If it is that bas just leave the country. Yeah! I know. I get all the comments back that we heard it before, but I just don´t care.

 

[fullcave]

16 hours ago, JAG said:

Moreover, if I can follow your last paragraph, the corruption in this countries governance is so widespread, prevalent even, that even a poorly educated population can recognise it. Poorly educated does not mean stupid, nor does it necessarily mean uninformed. The near total penetration of social media to those under ( say 40), means that they are now better informed and able to exchange views. It will bring pressure for change, and when it happens I fancy it will be fast.

 

 

When living in a climate of fear, even the "well-informed" don't dare speak out. Access to social media is tightly regulated. I don't see things changing anytime soon. 

[soalbundy]

Fighting corruption costs money, especially for the person making the accusations, nothing as good as being sued until you are bankrupt to make you keep your mouth shut, barring a bullet to the back of your head of course. It takes a brave man to speak out and stay the course and i will admit to not being in that number.

[Eric Loh]

The problem is the appointment process. NACC secretary general Sansern is a former Deputy PM Prawit's secretary general. NACC president Police General Watcharapol is appointed by Prawit. The senate of appointees endorse the appointment. If you can't see conflict of interest, then you are blind as a bat.

[elgordo38]

22 hours ago, piersbeckett said:

The safeguard of democracy is, I'm told, an educated and informed citizenry;

Prayuth has got this covered. 

[Baerboxer]

23 hours ago, candide said:

The NACC is selective.  Not really surprising news....

 

All aspects of the judicial system, investigative, enforcement, due process are selective.

 

The NACC with it's list of stalled cases is but one example. Just go back over TVF for a couple of years and see how many "sensational at the time" cases involving the rich, famous, well connected, hiso elites are stalled or simply vanished off the radar - for fraud, corruption, manslaughter, murder, etc etc. 

 

The crime and the investigating agency doesn't matter - the prevailing culture is always the same.

 

Of course it makes great sense to spend 19 years investigating a school teacher for allegedly stealing dorm fees. Clearly a matter of national importance. 

[elgordo38]

The NACC just like brushing fleas off of a dogs back. 

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

The problem is the appointment process. NACC secretary general Sansern is a former Deputy PM Prawit's secretary general. NACC president Police General Watcharapol is appointed by Prawit. The senate of appointees endorse the appointment. If you can't see conflict of interest, then you are blind as a bat.

And prior to 2014?

 

Or are you suggesting everything was honky dory before then?

[Baerboxer]

21 hours ago, JAG said:

Moreover, if I can follow your last paragraph, the corruption in this countries governance is so widespread, prevalent even, that even a poorly educated population can recognise it. Poorly educated does not mean stupid, nor does it necessarily mean uninformed. The near total penetration of social media to those under ( say 40), means that they are now better informed and able to exchange views. It will bring pressure for change, and when it happens I fancy it will be fast.

 

Unfortunately it's very very difficult to break that cycle in an environment where selectivity and application and interpretations of laws are delegated down to individual officers without any checks on consistency, fairness or impartiality.

 

If we take the OP example of a school teacher accused of stealing student's dorm fees. Surely a matter for the local plod and courts. But know,  some one probably doesn't trust them so complains to the NACC who 19 years later are still working on it!

 

The whole system needs a massive reform and transformation - judicial system and process, agencies of investigation and enforcement, court process. But not one single political party, Junta or government, elected or otherwise has shown the slightest inclination to do anything about it. Yingluck had her anti corruption campaign with nice photo shoots, and now the current PM makes similar overtures. But it seems all talk and window dressing.

Once any agency sees that someone well connected, wealthy, with influence, from a powerful family, or famous is involved they stall, stop or change their comments accordingly.

 

Those in the tier of society who should change this don't. Because they are the very tier that benefits the most. Until that changes nothing else will. Just more suppression of media, more use of the defamation and cyber crime laws, and more brushing aside to prevent people from being informed.

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

And prior to 2014?

 

Or are you suggesting everything was honky dory before then?

Never was honk dory but worse now going after their political opponents. 

"Usually, the high-profile cases involving those against state power, especially involving elected officials from the Pheu Thai Party, go extremely fast, as we can factually see from the past 10 years,” Somchai said. “Yingluck and Abhisit both have NACC cases, but Yingluck’s proceeded much faster, while stalled cases are never given a substantial explanation for being stopped.”

 

[slapout]

The dishonest. corrupt individuals have had control longer than those with good / honest intrentions. The first group drafted laws and got a system working which gave them the advantage over the honest folks. It would take a massive, bloody upheavel to make all the changes needed throughout  the system at one time, so you have to be content to do what is realist and has a possiblity of success and just keep pressure on the corrupt element.

You have little chance of getting a life sentence for murder but a chance of a year or so and loss of some assets for a lessor charge. Give rewards of part of assets to the snitches, and do not go after them for minor offenses. Each conviction means another dishonest man deemed ineligable to serve in any public paid position.  I am surprised the charge of ''unusual wealth'' has not been pressed as a issue more but I am an observer to this comedy of errors, that seems to be becoming more appareent to the general population as well as those who have become suspect or have absconded.

[candide]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Never was honk dory but worse now going after their political opponents. 

"Usually, the high-profile cases involving those against state power, especially involving elected officials from the Pheu Thai Party, go extremely fast, as we can factually see from the past 10 years,” Somchai said. “Yingluck and Abhisit both have NACC cases, but Yingluck’s proceeded much faster, while stalled cases are never given a substantial explanation for being stopped.”

 

Before the 2006 coup the anti-corruption organisation was to a large extent captured by Thaksin. Since the 2006 coup, it became more independent from the elected government but has shown an obvious political preference in its agenda. Since 2014, I guess it could be said again that it is captured, but this time by the Junta

[300sd]

You are insulting our intelligence with these jokers in this NACC. 7 years on average per case. Any gov't with half a brain would have gotten rid of these leeches long ago. Amazing.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

That reminds me, how"s the case against the errant abbot going?