Former Democrat MP Watchara Petthong has challenged the governance within the Office of National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) over the recent promotion of the director of the Office of Investigation and Special Operations, Charong Krohmoh, who was the official allegedly involved in the fatal hit and run this week in Nonthaburi.
He said that an order, dated on May 29, after the collision, and signed by Surapol Intharathavorn, the NACC secretary general, assigned Charong to the position of director of the Office of Investigation of Special Cases, which entitles him to a monthly allowance of 40,000 baht, instead of the 8,000 for the director of the Office of Investigation and Special Operations.
Charong is accused of striking and killing a delivery rider with the pickup truck he was driving on Ratchapruek Road in Nonthaburi late Wednesday night, killing the rider instantly. Witnesses claimed that he did not stop to help the victim and tried to flee, but was forced to stop about 500 metres from the accident because one of his vehicle’s tyres burst.
He was eventually detained by the police and given a breathalyser test, which showed an excessive level of alcohol in his system. He has been charged with reckless driving causing death, drunk driving causing death and failing to stop to help the victim.
Watchara said that the NACC’s assigning of Charong to a new post with higher income illustrates a lack of good governance in the nation’s largest anti-graft body, which is unfair to society and may tarnish the reputation of the NACC.
Instead of assigning the suspect to a new position, he said he should be temporarily relieved of duty and a committee set up to investigate the case.
Charong is reported to have been punched in the face, allegedly by a friend of the victim, when he visited Thung Khru Temple on Friday with his lawyer to pay respects to the victim, identified only as ‘Sornnarin’.
Sornnarin’s relatives later had to intervene as others also appeared to be about to attack him, or at least vent their considerable anger at him as he insisted on paying his respects to Sornnarin’s remains.
