Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will file an appeal tomorrow (Friday) against the Supreme Administrative Court’s order for them to disclose to the public its findings in an investigation into Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan’s luxurious wristwatches.
Besides the findings, the court also ordered the NACC to release its summary report on the scandal and the four statements given to the watchdog by General Prawit by Friday August 11th.
NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said that they cannot reveal publish all the investigative reports about the case to protect the safety of the witnesses otherwise, in the future, witnesses would not dare to come forward to the NACC to testify.
NACC’s investigative reports are equivalent to police investigative reports on criminal cases, which are considered confidential and cannot be disclosed to the public, said Niwatchai.
He also said that he has an appointment with self-made graft-busting crusader Veera Somkwamkid to explain why the NACC has not disclosed the findings in the wristwatch investigation after the Administrative Court ordered it to do so.
Niwatchai insists that the NACC has been performing its duty straightforwardly and transparently and it has no intention whatsoever to hide its findings from the public.
Veera brought the wristwatch case to the attention of the Administrative Court after the NACC, in December 2018, cleared General Prawit, by 5:3 votes, of any wrongdoing.
General Prawit was seen, on numerous occasions, wearing various luxurious wristwatches in public, which were excluded from the declaration of his assets to the NACC. He claimed, however, that the wristwatches were not his, but were borrowed from a former classmate who had already dead.
