Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has shrugged off a veiled threat from Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat that his future government will launch an investigation into alleged misconduct by the Prayut administration over the past eight years.
After the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister said curtly “I am not afraid.”
Pita said he believes that Prime Minister Prayut should be willing to be investigated, to determine whether he abused his authority or violated human rights, such as by the promulgation of a land law to claim forest land back from villagers who had occupied and utilised it for several years.
The Move Forward party leader has insisted that any probe into General Prayut and his administration is nothing personal or in retaliation for an attempt by some to prevent him from assuming the premiership.
Prime Minister Prayut also laughed off a suggestion that Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, also leader of the Bhumjaithai party, was engaged in secret conversations with Srettha Thavisin, a prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party, over forming an alternative government while they were in London recently.
He said Anutin was in London to watch a football match between Leicester City and West Ham United and might have had a chance encounter with Srettha at the stadium.
“How can any secret deal be done in a stadium where there were so many people?” asked the prime minister.
He said that he has nothing to do with the formation of a new government, but, as head of a caretaker government, his job is to look after the people and to implement projects which can be rolled out by a caretaker government.
