National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will take until the end of this month or early next month to complete its probe into the luxury watches scandal surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
The anti-graft agency president Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit also assured professionalism and transparency in the investigation.
"The NACC decision over this issue will be made by a majority of nine commissioners, not by me. I can't have influence over other commissioners," Pol Gen Watcharapol told reporters Monday, responding to doubts over his selection to head the case.
Gen Prawit is the former boss of Pol Gen Watcharapol, who was selected as the new president of the anti-graft body on Dec 15, 2015 amid accusations he won the post with the backing of the regime.
"This issue is in the public arena so the NACC has to handle it transparently. No matter what conclusion it reaches, the agency will have to be able to answer all questions," he said.
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NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon, meanwhile, asked the media to wait until early next month before asking about the matter again.
The scandal erupted after Gen Prawit was spotted by media late last year wearing a luxury watch, believed to be a Richard Millle worth at least 2.5 million baht, and a diamond ring that were not included in his asset declarations to the NACC.
The CSI-LA Facebook page, as of Monday, had posted photos of 17 luxury wristwatches worn by Gen Prawit picked up from past news photos which were also not declared.
Gen Prayut, however, shrugged off the online criticism.
"Just let the NACC perform its duty. Why do you see [the watches discovery] on social media and question me?" he responded to reporters Monday.
Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party's legal expert Ruangkrai Leekitwattana demanded the NACC seize Gen Prawit's watch and diamond ring for inspection.
Mr Ruangkrai urged the NACC to be as active in its probe as it was when investigating former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra over a 2.5-million-baht wristwatch.