The National Anti-Corruption Commission has resolved to freeze some of the assets of transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom, NACC spokesman Klanarong Chanthik said on Tuesday.
Supoj Saplom
Mr Supoj has been transferred to an inactive position at the Prime Minister's Office, pending the conclusions of the NACC's investigation into whether he is unusually wealthy.
Mr Klanarong said the NACC ordered Mr Supoj's assets frozen as recommended by a subcommittee investigating his wealth.
During the course of investigation, the subcommittee had found that Mr Supoj transferred three plots of land with buildings on them worth a total of about 20 million baht in Soi Lat Phrao 64 in Bangkok's Wang Thong Lang district to his daughter and son-in-law on Jan 15 and 19 this year.
The NACC's wealth investigation follows a burglary at Mr Supoj's house in Wang Thong Lang district on the night of Nov 11 last year while the transport permanent secretary was attending his daughter's wedding at a hotel.
A number of suspects were arrested after the burglary. The suspects told police they took about 200 million baht from the house and that they saw stacks of cash in the house, estimating the value at between 700 million and one billion baht.
Mr Supoj insisted he had only five million baht in the house and that the money was part of the wedding dowry for his daughter.
Suspects arrested by police were found in possession of more than 12.7 million baht, causing police to become suspicious.
The NACC then suspected Mr Supoj might have submitted false declarations of his assets, and launched an investigation.
Mr Supoj has until March 8 to submit a defence statement to the NACC.