The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has proposed legal amendments to transfer itself from the Justice Ministry's supervision to come under the Prime Minister's Office.
PACC secretary-general Prayong Preeyajit yesterday said he proposed the changes to improve efficiency in the organisation's operations, as ordered by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The changes have been approved by acting permanent secretary for justice Charnchao Chaiyanukit, and were submitted to assistant army chief Gen Paiboon Khumchaya, head of legal and judicial affairs for the NCPO, for consideration on Tuesday, Mr Prayong said.
He said the amendments are intended to boost efforts to combat corruption, stressing that anti-graft agencies and mechanisms must operate independently.
When implemented, the law will give authorities the power to conduct searches and freeze and seize assets of state officials suspected of graft.
The legal change also seeks to remove the statute of limitations in corruption cases, which means they will have no expiry date, Mr Prayong said.
He also said the proposed amendments will allow the PACC to recommend disciplinary action against any state officials found to be involved in graft. If the heads of state agencies, where accused officials belong, fail to act on PACC recommendations, they will also face punishment.
Under the amendment, Section 8 of the law on suppression of drug offenders will be applied to corruption cases involving state authorities, Mr Prayong added.
Section 8 of that law stipulates that accomplices in drug offences are subject to a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 50,000 baht. The penalty for state officials complicit in corruption cases should be the same as the penalty for accomplices in drug cases, Mr Prayong said.
In state corruption cases, it will be presumed that one state official cannot commit acts of corruption alone and others must be involved, he said.
The PACC has received several complaints, he said, most are about irregularities in state procurement projects and abuses of natural resources.