NACC will release some watch files

NACC will release some watch files

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon wears one of the expensive watches.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon wears one of the expensive watches.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has agreed to disclose only two out of three sets of documents involving its investigation into Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon's luxury wristwatch controversy to activist Veera Somkwamkid as ordered by the Supreme Administrative Court.

In an order issued on April 21, the court told the commission to release the case details to Mr Veera, head of the Anti-Corruption People's Network, who initiated the petition, within 15 days.

The NACC said it had studied the court order and decided unanimously to disclose only two sets of documents as the investigation contained accounts of several individuals in the case, which were confidential.

The documents that will not be disclosed involve the opinions of NACC officials involved in the probe, and Mr Veera can contact the NACC to receive a copy of the documents from May 8, according to the NACC.

Earlier, the commission indicated it might need the Constitutional Court's opinion on how far it could go in disclosing details.

At the same time, Mr Veera threatened to impeach them if they ignored the court order.

Mr Veera filed a petition with the Central Administrative Court demanding disclosure of the investigation following the NACC's dismissal of the case in December 2018.

The commission ruled 5:3 that there were no grounds for the accusation that Gen Prawit falsely declared his wealth when he did not include 22 luxury watches and rings in his list of assets.

The luxury watch probe was launched when Gen Prawit was spotted wearing a platinum Richard Mille RM 029 valued at about 2.5 million baht and a diamond ring at a Government House event on Dec 4, 2017.

These items and other watches which came to light later were omitted from Gen Prawit's assets declaration to the NACC.

Gen Prawit claimed the luxury watches belonged to friends and were all returned.

In December 2018, the NACC found no grounds for claims that Gen Prawit had falsely declared his wealth when he did not include the 22 luxury watches and rings in his list of assets.

Mr Veera later petitioned the Supreme Administrative Court requesting the disclosure order, which was subsequently granted.

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