The head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Monday shrugged off a threat by NACC deputy secretary-general Prayat Puangjumpa who is seeking to impeach the commission for allegedly pursuing a false assets-concealment case against him.
Mr Prayat, who the NACC has grounds to believe had concealed assets worth 227 million baht in a past declaration, also claimed that he was not given the opportunity to defend himself against the allegation before he was formally implicated by the NACC.
Mr Prayat added that he intended to seek support from MPs to file an impeachment bid in parliament against the NACC for alleged misconduct.
Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, the NACC president, said Mr Prayat has the right to do what he thinks is right. However, he will need the support of one-fifth of the 500 MPs to back his bid.
Pol Gen Watcharapol explained that the NACC does not always require a person to provide a verbal defence if it has sufficient evidence to believe the allegation is true.
"The NACC isn't worried about this threat at all. Several members of the commission have already gone through criminal and civil proceedings," he said.
He stressed that he believes in the credibility of the evidence and that the commission is ready to take responsibility for its action.
Prayat: Amassed wealth of B227m
Mr Prayat was found by the anti-graft agency to have amassed vast wealth -- including a £4.5 million (168 million baht) townhouse in central London -- amounting to about 227 million baht, according to Warawit Sukboon, the NACC secretary-general.