The National Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to hold off on setting up a committee to investigate irregularities in the army's Rajabhakti Park project because there still is no clear evidence of corruption, NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljiak said on Tuesday.
Speaking after a meeting called to consider whether the commission has the authority to dig into the scandal-plagued park, Mr Sansern said a preliminary inquiry found no clear evidence to conclude that the project was tainted by corruption.
However, there were complaints filed with the Crime Suppression Division alleging irregularities.
Moreover, the Office of the Auditor General found that 63 million baht from the government's central fund had been used for construction of the park. The office was investigating whether the use of central fund money was legal.
Finally, the Defence Ministry has set up a committee to investigate use of donations made to the Rajabhakti Park Foundation.
Since Royal Thai Police, the Office of the Auditor General and the Defence Ministry panels already are conducting their investigations, the NACC decided to wait before launching its own inquiry.
Instead, the NACC plans to follow up on work by the three agencies and collect information. With it, the NACC will be able to better decide whether to move forward with its own probe.
If the three agencies found any corrupt practice on the part of state officials, they will forward the case for the NACC for further investigation anyway, Mr Sansern said.
No complaints so far had been directly filed with the NACC. If there were any, the complaints must be accompanied by evidence of corruption on the part of state officials, he added.
Concerning Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Sitabutr's admission that there were demands for kickbacks from the foundries that built the statues of the past kings, Mr Sansern said it was necessary to find out who else were involved, apart from some private individuals.
Concerning information that trees for the project had been bought at inflated prices, Mr Sansern investigation was needed to determine if money for the greenery came from the government's central fund or from donations.
Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, meanwhile, called for all parties to give the government time to clear up the controversy and ensure justice for all concerned.