The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has accused 16 local authority officials of deliberately not disclosing some of their assets and liabilities in declarations to the anti-graft agency.
All holders of political positions must declare their assets and liabilities to the NACC when they take and leave office, as well as one year after leaving their position, for the commission to scrutinise any unusual increase.
Commissioners say that in the past month, 16 individuals have refused to divulge their assets list. The list includes three local officials from Chon Buri; two each from Kanchanaburi, Patthalung, and Sakon Nakhon; and one each from Chainat and Ranong. Others occupied offices in Nakhon Sawan, Pichit, Petchabun, Kalasin, and Nakhon Ratchasima.
Their names and cases have now been forwarded to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders, the NACC said yesterday.
Judges will determine whether the officials tried to conceal an unusual accumulation of assets during their time in office. If found guilty, they will be dismissed and banned for five years from holding any new post. They will also face a jail term up to six months and/or a fine up to 10,000 baht.
Meanwhile, commissioners also ruled on 20 corruption cases, in 19 provinces in total, including one case involving an executive of the state-owned Krungthai Bank.
According to the NACC, Sommanat, or Thanapop Chutima, claimed to be a dealer in the sale of a land plot and kept the commission fee for himself. Mr Sommanat has been fired by Krungthai's board.
Two employees of the Excise Department were also accused of letting a tobacco retailer, selling imported products without an appropriate licence, off the hook, in return for kickbacks.
They are accused of breaching the Criminal Code.
The NACC also ruled on cases involving local officials in Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Samut Sakhon, Pichit, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Nakhon Ratchasima, Bueng Kan, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Loei, Sakon Nakhon, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani, Phang Nga and Songkhla provinces.