Thai PBS plans to petition the chairman of the National Audit Committee to launch a fact-finding investigation into the conduct of the State Audit Office (SAO) in its probe into the broadcaster’s alleged misuse of funds.
Thai PBS Deputy Director Piset Chiyasak said on Friday that the broadcaster could not yet determine whether the SAO’s investigation had met the required standards because the probe was still incomplete. However, information purportedly drawn from the investigation had appeared on social media, causing public confusion and reputational damage to Thai PBS.
The social media report claimed that the SAO had found the director of Thai PBS and 10 staff members at fault and demanded that they pay 85.22 million baht in compensation to the state.
Piset said Thai PBS had not been officially notified of the outcome of the SAO’s investigation. Nevertheless, information purportedly drawn from the findings had been disseminated to the public before the investigation and the drafting of the report had been formally completed.
This had caused misunderstandings and damaged the reputation of Thai PBS, as well as the rights and reputations of the individuals concerned, he said.
Piset said Thai PBS would exercise its rights under Section 35 of the National Audit Act and the relevant announcement of the National Audit Committee to petition the committee’s chairman for an investigation into the SAO’s conduct in four areas.
First, Thai PBS wants to establish whether information was disclosed while the investigation was still underway, including whether the names of individuals implicated in the probe had been made public.
Second, it wants the committee to clarify the measures in place to protect confidential information related to the investigation and explain how such information was leaked on social media before Thai PBS was officially informed of the findings.
Third, Thai PBS is seeking accountability for the leak, including clarification on whether it resulted from deliberate action or negligence.
Finally, it wants to know whether the SAO has mechanisms to correct the misunderstandings and provide redress for the damage already caused to Thai PBS and the individuals concerned.
