Bangkok: Seven individuals accused of cheating on local government exams have met with the police. In an update on the local government exam cheating case, the last group of seven accused individuals appeared today to hear the charges against them.
According to Thai News Agency, seven local government officials, along with their legal advisor, appeared before investigators at the Crime Suppression Division following a summons to hear the charges against them. They are accused of involvement in a scheme to alter answer sheets. Reporters attempted to question them, but all declined to give interviews. The legal advisor only stated briefly that they were there in their capacity as legal advisors, as summoned by the investigators.
This group of seven accused individuals is the final group to be formally charged, following six key suspects who have already appeared to hear the charges. These include the former Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, the director of the testing institute at Srinakharinwirot University, and four other officials involved in altering the exam questions. It is expected that investigators will complete questioning and formally charge all suspects by August 12th, before submitting the case file to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for further action.
Mr. Nirat Pongsitthithavorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Acting Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, revealed that after the announcement of the correct new list of successful candidates last Friday, guidelines will be sent to provincial committees nationwide today. By the end of this month, local administrative organizations will issue orders to remove all those found guilty of corruption from their positions and proceed with appointing the genuinely successful candidates according to the new list.