Former Royal Forestry Department chief Chonlatid Suraswadi on Friday sought justice from the government over his sudden removal and transfer to the Prime Minister’s Office as a special adviser.
Mr Chonlatid submitted a petition to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam via the government's complaint centre on Friday following the cabinet's decision to move him from the top post at the RFD on Oct 3 to a new position as a special adviser at the PM’s Office.
He also submitted a letter to PM's Office permanent secretary Patcharaporn Inseeyong on Friday, reporting in for his new job, which he is to start on Nov 1.
The former RFD chief said he respected the cabinet’s resolution, but felt the need to submit the petition to prove he was innocent of any graft or malfeasance throughout his 30 years in government service.
He had checked to see if he had done anything wrong with the Centre for National Anti-Corruption and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which oversees the RFD, and found that no committee had been set up to investigate him. This prompted him to petition for justice, said Mr Chonlatid.
Deputy PM Wissanu told the media on Oct 3 the cabinet resolved to transfer Mr Chonlatid to the PM’s Office after a government agency set up a committee to investigate him.
The agency had submitted Mr Chonlatid’s name to the cabinet via the anti-corruption centre, asking he be moved from the post pending the inquiry, said Mr Wissanu.
The deputy prime minister added the agency had not mentioned whether Mr Chonlatid was being investigated for alleged corruption or malfeasance, according to media reports.
Mr Chontatid said he did not think his sudden transfer was politically motivated. Although he was a nephew of former deputy prime minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, he was not affiliated with any political group.
He thought his removal might stem from his actions at the RFD that affected certain people who tried to reap benefits from the country, particularly at the RFD. He did not elaborate further.