Bangkok: The Prime Minister is confident that the local government exam cheating case will proceed to its conclusion, insisting there will be no "rigged fight" to deceive the public. Anutin Charnvirakul is preparing to visit the Ministry of Interior twice a week to closely monitor the work. He insists that the bureaucratic system itself is not the problem, but rather the dishonest individuals. He reiterates his confidence that the corruption case in the local government examinations will proceed to its conclusion, pointing out that perpetrators are being arrested continuously and that it will not be a "rigged fight" to deceive the public.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul expressed before an informal meeting with executives of the Ministry of Interior, "Only ask about good things, auspicious matters." Regarding the good news he has for the public from today's meeting, Mr. Anutin said that the ministry's executives came to sign the well wishes for the King, so they took the opportunity to hold an informal meeting. From now on, he will allocate time to work at the Ministry of Interior regularly, two days a week. Although he could work at Government House or other locations, meeting directly with executives and staff will help improve the efficiency of administration and public service.
Mr. Anutin affirmed that the government system and regulations are not the problem, but the problem lies with those who implemented the system. "The system is certainly not lax, and the regulations are not lax either. But the people using those regulations and the system are dishonest. Let's put it this way: it's not the system's fault, but the people's. During the appointment process, they were checked for knowledge, ability, and integrity. But when incidents occur, they must be rectified," he said.
Regarding concerns from various parties that the incident would affect public trust, Mr. Anutin stated that the government cannot prevent those who intend to commit corruption, but when wrongdoing is discovered, action is taken promptly. In just over two weeks, the investigation has been expanded, resulting in the arrest of numerous perpetrators, and orders to remove the names of those involved from the list of those implicated have been continuously issued.
Mr. Anutin revealed that he met with Mr. Suchart Trakulkesemsuk, Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), who is personally chairing the subcommittee investigating the case. This gives him confidence that this case will not be a rigged trial. Meanwhile, on the government side, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilapraphan will submit the investigation report within 2-3 days, after which all the information will be compiled to provide a complete picture of the entire process.
Regarding whether all those involved will be prosecuted if the investigation reveals their involvement, Mr. Anutin stated that currently, three suspects are being detained, and many more have been summoned, including those involved at every stage of the process, from those who altered scores and the owners of the answer sheets to those who announced the exam results. He emphasized that the investigation is also expanding to include financial transactions and abuse of power, with multiple agencies collaborating on the investigation. He believes that the findings from all parties will be consistent, leading to a credible and thorough conclusion to the case.