Bangkok: The Committee on Political Development is intensifying its investigation into the "Help Namngern" chat message scandal, urging the Ministry of Interior to establish a committee to examine the conduct of the Director-General of Provincial Administration. The focus is on uncovering irregularities related to the transfer of over 300 district chiefs prior to the election.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Chalanat Koykul, a Bangkok MP from the People's Party and spokesperson for the House of Representatives' Committee on Political Development, Mass Media, and Public Participation, revealed details from a meeting addressing a complaint about alleged abuse of power by the Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration. This investigation centers around a request in a LINE conversation seeking financial assistance. Mr. Rungruang Thimabutr, former Phuket Provincial Permanent Secretary, testified that his abrupt transfer was linked to allegations of accepting bribes, which he claimed were fabricated to remove him from office. He provided evidence of a LINE conversation where he responded affirmatively out of shock to a superior's request.
Ms. Chalanat stated that Mr. Winai Tocharoen, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, clarified on behalf of Mr. Narucha Khosasilai, the Director-General. Mr. Winai explained that departmental transfers normally adhere to established bureaucratic procedures, and the LINE app was used only for public relations. However, the "help with money" message is part of an ongoing investigation. A heated debate in the committee arose when Mr. Winai provided inconsistent information regarding the formation of an investigative committee, eventually admitting that no such committee had been established.
Ms. Chalanat also mentioned that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) emphasized the need for civil servants to remain politically neutral at all times. Any failure to establish an investigation committee despite evidence of wrongdoing could result in charges of dereliction of duty. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) confirmed receiving a complaint about potential corruption on June 9th.
The committee highlighted irregularities in the transfer of over 300 district chiefs shortly before the election, noting that over half of those transferred were appointed as election sub-committee chairpersons in critical constituencies. Ms. Phakamon Nunanan, a party-list MP and committee chair, called for government agencies to scrutinize those in power without bias. Mr. Anusorn Kaewwichien, vice-chairman of the committee, stressed the importance of forensic evidence in court to ascertain the truth about the LINE chat.
The committee resolved to take several actions to ensure transparency, including requesting the Ministry of Interior to establish an investigative committee and report on the use of state power that appears politically biased. They also plan to review transfer statistics dating back to 2019 to identify any irregular patterns.
Ms. Chalanat emphasized that state power should not be used politically by any party and asserted the importance of maintaining the credibility of Thailand's bureaucratic system. The committee has invited the Election Commission to clarify its position on June 18, following a postponement request.
In response to queries about the Deputy Director-General's clarification on whether the LINE account was public, Ms. Chalanat explained that technical details could not be disclosed. However, it was confirmed that communication via LINE was informal. A test during the meeting showed that adding friends to the LINE account was no longer possible, raising questions about the status of Mr. Narucha's account. The delegation of clarification duties to the Deputy Director-General resulted in unanswered questions and a lack of clarity on issues raised by the committee.