Bangkok: Anutin Charnvirakul defended Arsit Vejjajiva after a video surfaced implicating the wife of the Permanent Secretary of the Interior in corruption related to local government civil service exams. He called the allegations "nonsense" and emphasized the need to rely on the facts of the investigation, questioning why anyone would give importance to something so insignificant.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul commented on the CSI LA Facebook page's release of an audio clip allegedly implicating the wife of a Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior in a local government recruitment exam fraud scandal. He suggested reporters should ask the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior instead, before dismissing it as "utter nonsense."
Regarding whether the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior has issued any clarification, Mr. Anutin said that there is no need for clarification; it's pointless because it's just an unknown clip. Reporters need to differentiate. When asked if the Prime Minister would adhere to the investigation principles and disregard information from social media, Mr. Anutin retorted, "If we don't rely on facts, what information will we rely on?" He affirmed that there is nothing to worry about; everything is moving forward. He emphasized the need to distinguish between what is substantial and what is not, and questioned why give importance to insignificant matters.
When asked about the cancellation of the delay in appointing those who passed the local government recruitment exam, Mr. Anutin said he did not know the details. He only said that wherever there is corruption, it will be thoroughly investigated. The people responsible for the investigation are the police, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), as well as the investigators appointed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior has already filed a complaint as the victims, both the Ministry and the Department of Local Administration. His policy is clear: anywhere involving corruption, lack of transparency, or unfairness to those who took the exam, must be dealt with thoroughly. Even if the central committee says that the appointments can proceed, it's alright. They must take responsibility because the Ministry of Interior has stated that the appointments should not be made by a majority vote. Even if a majority vote is use d to make the appointments, it's fine. But whenever the investigation reveals corruption, action can be taken at any time, because these cases have no statute of limitations.
When asked whether instructions had been given regarding other examinations of the Ministry of Interior, as they were linked to the district chief examination, Mr. Anutin said that the district chief school examination had not been held for a long time. He requested that the questions be those that are beneficial to the country. He added that the district chief school had not held an examination since he was removed from his position, exactly one year ago, and there had been no examination since his return for the second term. Regarding past events, he said he didn't know how far in the past those events had occurred.
Regarding the decision by the Central Committee for Local Government Officials/Employees to cancel the postponement of the reporting date for local government exam candidates on July 1st, and the Prime Minister's statement that those found guilty of cheating in the exam must take responsibility, Mr. Worasit Liengprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior, stated that the Central Committee represents local communities nationwide. He added that diverse opinions were expressed during the meeting, and they adhered to the committee's recommendations. When asked if the Prime Minister seemed to disagree with the decision, Mr. Worasit said he had not yet heard the Prime Minister's statement.