Prem calls for specialist court to fight corruption

Prem calls for specialist court to fight corruption

A corruption court should be set up to exclusively handle corruption cases, says Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda.

Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, speaking at the National Defence College yesterday, says corrupt people deserve society's contempt. Apichart Jinakul

Gen Prem said lengthy legal proceedings should be streamlined to speed up graft cases, adding that people involved in corruption must be dealt with severely.

Gen Prem was addressing an event marking the 60th anniversary of the National Defence College yesterday.

"I once asked someone involved why corruption cases take such a long time. He said because there are many lengthy procedures to follow. I told him the process can be changed. The procedures can be sped up, but no one does anything about it,'' Gen Prem said.

"Wouldn't it be good if we had a corruption court set up just to handle graft cases and cut [unnecessary] procedures?" Gen Prem said.

He also proposed that tough legal action be pursued against corrupt people, in a cavalry soldier's manner — fast, severe, and decisive. "To deal with corrupt people, do it fast, punish them severely, and be decisive in suppressing them. I was once a cavalry officer, and that's the way we are taught," Gen Prem said.

Gen Prem described corrupt people as "the country's enemies", and said efforts must be made to punish them. 

"We need to keep an eye on them, monitor and wipe them out from our land. The only way to deal with corrupt men is to punish them. Corruption is what I hate most,'' he said. He said the country is plagued with two major problems — poverty and corruption.

All Thais, and especially the government, are duty-bound to work together to address these problems, said Gen Prem, a former prime minister who will turn 95 this year. 

He said Thais tend to ignore the need to tackle corruption, thinking it is not their concern.

Many Thais thought combating corrupt people would only bring them more enemies, Gen Prem said. "Of course, we can't force them to stop thinking the way they do because there's no law against it. But it's wrong because it's their duty and responsibility toward the country.''

Any senior government officials who fail to carry out this duty would be letting the side down, Gen Prem said.

"To deal with corrupt people and act as a good citizen, we must first make a vow never to be corrupt ourselves, and keep it,'' he said.

He said he also supports efforts to expose corrupt people, adding corrupt people do not deserve to be respected.

"It doesn't matter who they are and how powerful they are or how respectable they appear, we must never wai or show respect to them.

"We must show them our disgust and keep our distance and avoid them like the plague. We'll point a finger at them and tell them to their faces: 'You may be rich but you cheat others', " said Gen Prem.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (2)