The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) plans to conclude several high-profile investigations before five commissioners retire next month, its president Panthep Klanarongran said Monday.
The commissioners who will reach the end of their nine-year term on Sept 21 are Vicha Mahakun, Phakdee Photisiri, Vichai Vivitsevi, Prasart Pongsivapai and Mr Panthep himself.
The anti-graft agency is doubling efforts to wrap up important cases - including the probe into the 2010 military crackdown on red-shirt protesters - as well as transferring work in progress to remaining NACC members, Mr Panthep said.
He said graft-busters will rule on the malfeasance case against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban, before their retirement from the commission.
The investigation is in its final stage, he said, and the commission will interview the last witness in the probe regarding the Abhisit government's role in putting an end to red-shirt demonstrations in 2010. The deadly crackdown claimed the lives of 99 people, most of them civilians.
The NACC said it was ready to make its conclusions public, but was then asked by former Pheu Thai legislator Weng Tojirakarn to first question Jittiphot Viriyarot, a former Senate panel member responsible for probing the deaths of protesters, before the case wrapped up.
Mr Panthep said commissioners were also concluding their probe into an embezzlement case at the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Education Personnel (Otep). Otep's former secretary-general is accused of stealing over two billion baht from a national teacher's fund last May.
Asked whether he feels satisfied with what he has accomplished during his time as NACC president, Mr Panthep said he would leave it to the public to judge his work.
"I believe we have worked hard and achieved good results in probing important cases, including some which have prompted impeachment bids," he said.
This included the National Legislative Assembly's impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra earlier this year over the controversial rice-pledging scheme. She was consequently banned from politics for five years.
While the Council of State, the government's legal arm, has advised that a selection committee be set up to choose new NACC commissioners, the remaining commissioners will continue to handle their work in the meantime.
No indication has been given on how long the selection process will take.
In another development, the NACC has turned 10 high-profile corruption cases into a series of soap operas to raise the public's awareness on fighting graft.
The 10 episodes -- 22 minutes each and based on cases the NACC has successfully probed -- will air on True Thai Film channel, starting from Sept 1.
These include a fictional version of the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme scandal, the fraudulent purchase of fire trucks handled by then-Thai Rak Thai interior minister Pracha Maleenont, as well as vote-buying examples in elections.
Production of the series cost 10 million baht, with several popular soap opera actors enlisted to star in the episodes.
"Our goal is to make Thais understand various types of corruption cases, so they can help us spot them," the NACC president said.