The finance minister has dodged a call to explain why he ordered an inquiry into deputy permanent secretary for finance Supa Piyajitti after she testified to a Senate committee that the government's rice-pledging scheme was at risk of corruption at every level.
The Senate committee on anti-corruption on Thursday called on Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong to explain his order for an investigation into Ms Supa’s testimony on the loss-ridden scheme.
Mr Kittirat assigned finance permanent secretary Areepong Phucha-oom to testify on his behalf.
Mr Areepong then asked his deputy, Rangsan Sriworasart, to appear before the panel chaired by Bangkok senator Rosana Tositrakul. He claimed he had other prior commitments.
Mr Rangsan said Mr Areepong was instructed to set up a committee to investigate Ms Supa, but the panel only aimed to look into the facts and information she had given to the media, and it was not intended to seek disciplinary action against her.
He claimed such an inquiry into a civil servant's action was normal practice. It was intended to allow the official to clarify facts and defend themself.
Appointed senator Paiboon Nititawan, a member of the senate committee, said he believed the purpose of the ministry's committee of inquiry was to bring disciplinary punishment against Ms Supa. He said Mr Kittirat seemed to have already pointed the finger at Ms Supa in an interview with reporters before he ordered the inquiry panel be formed.
Mr Paiboon said irregularities surrounded the formation of the investigation and it should not have been ordered at all.
He urged the ministry to review its investigation order against Ms Supa, or it could face problematic consequences in the future.
The committee would again invite Mr Kittirat to testify on the issue, he said.
Appointed senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn said Ms Supa’s decision to make revelations to a parliamentary committee was her constitutional right, therefore the Finance Ministry should cancel the probe immediately.
Mr Rangsan said he would report the committee’s recommendations to the finance permanent secretary, and it would be up to him how to proceed with this issue.
Earlier, the Senate committee on economic, commercial and industrial affairs, before which Ms Supa testified, warned the government it could face impeachment for threatening officials who legally disclosed details of the rice pledging scheme to a parliamentary committee.