The National Anti-Corruption Commission has found that Tarit Pengdith accumulated "unusual wealth" while director-general of the Department of Special Investigation, NACC member Preecha Lertkamolmart said on Thursday.
Mr Preecha said the NACC on Oct 30, 2014 appointed a subcommittee to investigate suspicions about Mr Tarit's assets.
The subcommittee, chaired by Mr Preecha himself, submitted a report to the NACC following the investigation.
The NACC then ordered the freezing of the assets of Mr Tarit, his wife Wassamon and other people under Section 78 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2009. The frozen assets were worth a total 90.2 million baht.
After further detailed examination of the report, the NACC found there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Mr Tarit and Mrs Wassamon had accumulated much more wealth than a state official should have, based on income.
Tarit Pengdith
Moreover, the assets acquired by Mr Tarit and his spouse were found to have been transferred, transformed, concealed or held by their proxies -- including Piyarerk Atthakanrat, a nephew of Mr Tarit and Mrs Wassamon, and Piyathanawat Co Ltd, of which Mr Piyarerk and Kanda Phuekchanthuek, Mrs Wassamon's younger sister, were board members.
The NACC, therefore, unanimously decided to declare Mr Tarit unusually rich, with assets worth 346.6 million baht more than would be usual.
Apart from the 90.2 million baht in assets previously impounded, the NACC found it would be difficult to also get hold of the other assets, totalling 256.4 million baht, which were considered "unusual wealth".
Therefore, the NACC resolved to forward its decision and investigation report to the Office of the Attorney General. The OAG would be asked to seek a court order to confiscate of the following assets:
- Four bank accounts of Mr Tarit with deposits of 1.2 million baht;
- Four bank accounts of Mrs Wassamon containing 236,827 baht;
- Four bank accounts of Mr Piyarerk holding 2 million baht;
- A block of land owned by Mr Tarit in tambon Khung Samphao in Manorom district, Chai Nat province;
- Five blocks of land and a house in Muang district, Pathum Thani province;
- Four plots of land owned by Mrs Wassamon in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province;
- A Mercedes Benz E250 owned by Mrs Wassamon;
- A Toyota Alphard car owned by Mrs Wassamon;
- Seven blocks of land owned by Sonchai Srithongkul in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima;
- A plot of land owned by Mr Piyarerk in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima.