NACC chief says full disclosure could endanger witnesses in case filed against deputy PM
PUBLISHED : 10 Aug 2023 at 18:16
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is still refusing to reveal some information related to the luxury watch controversy concerning caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
The Supreme Administrative Court has given the NACC until Friday to disclose all the facts that it used to support its decision to clear Gen Prawit of failing to declare all his assets.
However, the anti-graft body intends to petition against the order because complete disclosure could compromise the safety of witnesses and discourage witnesses in other cases, NACC secretary-general Niwatichai Kasemmongkol said on Thursday
He said he would give an explanation to activist Veera Somkwamkid, who earlier demanded the information disclosure in the case.
After meeting Mr Niwatichai, Mr Veera said he was given only facts gathered from the investigation and minutes of NACC meetings concerning the case. He was not provided with the opinions of the NACC officials who handled the case.
The NACC secretary-general cited the need for witness protection as a reason for withholding the details, Mr Veera said.
The documents he received were partly redacted, which Mr Niwatichai attributed to a decision by the NACC, Mr Veera said.
The activist said the NACC and its secretary-general would have to take responsibility for disobeying the court’s order.
Earlier Mr Veera filed a petition with the Central Administrative Court demanding disclosure of the investigation following the NACC’s dismissal of the complaint against Gen Prawit in December 2018.
The commission ruled 5:3 that there were no grounds for the accusation that Gen Prawit had falsely declared his wealth when he did not include 22 luxury watches and rings in his list of assets.
The investigation was launched not long after Gen Prawit was spotted wearing a platinum Richard Mille RM 029 wristwatch valued at about 2.5 million baht and a diamond ring at a Government House event on Dec 4, 2017.
These items and other watches that came to light later were omitted from Gen Prawit’s asset declaration to the NACC.
Gen Prawit claimed the luxury watches belonged to a friend, who had since died, and had all been returned.
The NACC has three sets of documents related to the case and has disclosed two of them. The third set involves the opinions of NACC officials.
Mr Veera said earlier that he wanted to ask the new government how to amend laws to make the NACC a truly independent agency that would be open to scrutiny and transparent, in keeping with its motto.