Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said last week that the case of former Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn was closed and there was no need for an investigation. He added that anyone who wants to know the actual cause of Pol Lt Gen Surachate's abrupt firing as the commissioner and, subsequently, his "demotion" to civil servant should better find out themselves.
Such a remark from a deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs is disappointing. It also says a lot about things in this country that are kept in the dark and the public encouraged to forget about for good.
This may also be interpreted as a green light for all the rumour-mongers on social media to speculate at will until there is an executive order to gag them -- or the matter is overtaken by other more juicy issues.
Before Gen Prawit made his remark, the media had been speculating about the possible causes of Pol Lt Gen Surachate's shocking transfer, one of which was his alleged interference in the "trading" of important positions in the police force which involves big money each year.
The gossip was even more outrageous than the speculations. Other hearsay which made the rounds involved a big bank balance, worth about 75 billion baht, of an unidentified Thai in Singapore.
But in the end, it seems no one knows the real truth about Pol Lt Gen Surachate's sudden downfall except, perhaps, the man himself or his boss, who won't talk.
Forensic expert Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday urging Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step in and clear the air, saying it will not be good for the country given the current political conflict and confusion if the case is abruptly closed without even an investigation.
She said Thais understood what has happened to the former immigration officer, but they wanted the case to be treated with transparency.
"Good governance will drive the country forward. Any finger which is bad must not be saved. If the situation is left unchecked, the disease will spread to the other fingers which may lead to death," said Khunying Porntip.
Her point is valid and I can't agree more for the simple fact that Pol Lt Gen Surachate is not just an ordinary policeman, but a former immigration commissioner -- a fast-rising star of the police force whom the media speculated could become the next national police chief. More importantly, he was known to be closely connected with, and even a protege of, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate deserves a fair investigation and the chance to tell his side of the story. And an investigation should inform the public of what wrongs he had committed which precipitated his remarkable fall from grace.
That is Khunying Porntip's wish and also my own. But whether our wishes will be fulfilled or not depends on how the prime minister views the case and how much he treasures transparency and good governance.
Honestly, I do not have much expectation given the prime minister's stance regarding the controversy surrounding Gen Prawit's "borrowed" wristwatches and various other unresolved cases that have occurred during his administration.
Another case of note was the mysterious disappearance of the 1932 Siamese Revolution memorial plaque from the Royal Plaza in Bangkok back in 2017.
The "Mud Khana Ratsadon" plaque was embedded at the site where Khana Ratsadon (the People's Party) leader Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena stood to read a statement announcing the end of the country's absolute monarchy. It went missing and was replaced by a new one without anyone knowing who was responsible as all CCTV cameras in the vicinity had suspiciously been removed for repairs by city officials a few days earlier.
The disappearance of the plaque generated a lot of speculation. But after a while, everything went quiet as if nothing had happened. And the mystery remains until today.
Truth will never die, it has been said. But here in Thailand, some truths will forever be kept from the public.
Veera Prateepchaikul is former editor, Bangkok Post.