The National Anti-Corruption Commission has seized a van from former permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom and given him 15 days to clarify the sources of his bank deposits.
Supoj: Says vehicle was a gift
The NACC has asked the Office of the Attorney-General to take legal action against Mr Supoj for being unusually rich.
As the NACC widens its probe, it has now confiscated a van which it believes Mr Supoj acquired illegally, and is also asking questions about the source of large amounts of cash found in his accounts.
The NACC has found he illegally received a Volkswagen Caravelle from a businessman as a present, NACC member and spokesman Klanarong Chanthik said yesterday.
Mr Supoj earlier claimed Anek Chongsathian, executive of a food packaging company, lent the van to his wife Naruemon so she could drive a vehicle befitting of her status. Mr Supoj was Highways Department chief at the time.
But according to the NACC investigation, Mr Anek actually gave Mr Supoj 3 million baht to buy the van in 2009.
"The NACC does not believe the van was lent. It was given. So it resolved to seize it," Mr Klanarong said.
Under the NACC act, officials are prohibited from receiving presents worth more than 3,000 baht. "We will forward the matter to the Office of the Attorney-General to take the case to court and to make the van state property," Mr Klanarong said.
The van is among cars and other assets inspected during the investigation into Mr Supoj's alleged unusual wealth.
The NACC has found that his house and land were acquired legally, but it has doubts about Mr Supoj's bank deposits, which come to tens of millions of baht.
Mr Supoj has claimed the money, currently kept with many banks, was obtained before he became an Airports of Thailand Plc board member.
He also said some of the money was profits from land trades he made between 1988 and 1996, Mr Klanarong said.
"He needs to provide evidence," Mr Klanarong said.
"He must be able to tell from where he took money to buy land."
Earlier, the NACC asked the Office of the Attorney-General to seize 17.5 million baht and 10 baht weight of gold ornaments from Mr Supoj after he failed to provide a clear explanation of how he had acquired the assets.
Questions about the origins of Mr Supoj's wealth started after robbers broke into his house in Wang Thong Lang district on the night of Nov 12 last year.
Mr Supoj told police he lost 5 million baht in cash but the police seized 18 million baht and the gold ornaments when they arrested some of the suspects.