BANGKOK: The acting chief of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said on Thursday (Dec 5) that the commission may soon look into the alleged preferential treatment given to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pic).
Witthaya Arkompithai, acting NACC chairman, said the commission cannot take up the case for consideration next week, because one of its commissioners will be away overseas.
He was referring to a complaint filed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) accusing the authorities of giving Thaksin preferential treatment, so he did not have to spend a single night behind bars.
The NHRC wants the NACC to investigate the chiefs of the Corrections Department, the Medical Correctional Institute and the Police General Hospital.
They are accused of abusing their authority to allow Thaksin to stay inside a VIP room on the 14th floor of a building in the hospital’s complex for six months until he was released on parole early this year.
Witthaya said he has been informed that a preliminary check of the case has been conducted and it has now been taken up by a scrutiny panel to decide on whether it should be passed on to the NACC.
Once the NACC takes it up and makes a decision, it will then decide if it needs to summon anyone to testify.
It has been speculated that politicians in power will try to prevent the NACC from accepting the case for investigation.
Witthaya said the case cannot be stopped now that it has undergone a preliminary check, and will have to proceed according to the procedure. - The Nation/ANN
