NACC sacks Prayat from agency's deputy chief post

Prayat Puangjumpa has been sacked as deputy secretary-general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) over an asset concealment case against him.

Secretary-general Ni- watchai Kasemmongkol yesterday confirmed the dismissal order, which was signed by NACC chairman Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit and which took effect on Aug 26.

The sacking came about three years after Mr Prayat was found by the anti-graft agency to have amassed vast wealth amounting to 658 million baht and failing to declare some of the assets.

According to the NACC probe, he omitted assets worth 227 million baht from his mandatory declaration to the NACC. The undeclared assets were found to be held by Mr Prayat's wife, Thanipa.

These assets were divided six items, four of which were overseas.

The two in Thailand were a Kasikornbank bank account with 10,000 baht in it as well as 20,000 shares in the Palm Biz Corporation worth two million baht.

The four overseas assets were three bank accounts kept at Bangkok Bank's London branch with a total of £237,959.46 (about 10 million baht) in them and a townhouse on Kensington High Street in London worth an estimated £4.5 million (168 million baht).

Mr Prayat appealed the decision but the NACC stood by its ruling.