New Thai Cabinet required to report assets/liabilities to NACC within 30 days

BANGKOK, September 5 (TNA) - New Thai Cabinet members, including Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, are required to present reports on their assets and liabilities to the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) within 30 days after they were sworn in before His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on September 4. NACC Chair Parnthep Klanarongran told journalists on Friday that all members of Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are also required to present reports on their assets and liabilities to his anti-graft commission by September 7, 2014. Parnthep said the Secretariat to the Cabinet is expected to contact the NACC soon to send officials to give necessary advice to the new Cabinet members on the issue. According to the NACC chair, NLA members who cannot present their asset and liability reports within September 7 are required to explain their reasons to the anti-graft panel. Regarding Thursday's decision of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on deferring its indictment against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on negligence in her previous government's loss-ridden and corruption-tainted rice-pledging scheme, causing a massive damage of over 500 billion baht to the state, but the OAG will, instead, form a joint committee with the NACC within 14 days to gather additional evidence, the NACC chair acknowledged that the joint panel will be formed in due course but vowing if the OAG eventually decided not to charge the former premier, the NACC would file a lawsuit against her itself. The NACC chair insisted that there was sufficient evidence to indict former prime minister Yingluck and he will raise the OAG’s decision for discussion among NACC members on September 9. (TNA)