Building construction bidding is not the reason for the transfer of Social Development and Human Security Ministry permanent secretary Panita Kambhu na Ayutthaya, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Thursday.
Ms Yingluck said after meeting with Mrs Panita that she had asked her for more information and is ready to give her justice.
She insisted the transfer was not politically motivated because the ministry itself submitted the inquiry, but in any case, she will have to look further into the details.
“I insist the transfer has nothing to do with the bidding on building construction because officials had already examined the documents, so it’s unlikely that this would be politically motivated.”
On the quarrel between Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Prompat and MP Prawat Utthamote, Mrs Panita’s brother, she said she did not discuss it personally during the party meeting on March 13 but there might have been talk about it between other members.
Hours earlier, 50 members of Youth Network Thailand submitted a petition to the prime minister to halt the transfer of Mrs Panita.
Jaroonsak Noosrikaew, the network’s leader, handed the letter to public liaison chief of the PM's Office Sathit Sutthiserm and said the transfer was totally groundless.
He said the transfer and the formation of an investigative panel by Mr Santi is considered interference in the permanent secretary’s job and the network would like to see the PM reconsider and rescind the cabinet’s decision.
He said Mrs Panita had done many good things for young people such as supporting the creation of the Children’s Parliament of Thailand and the funding of child development projects.