Prawit report 'redacted' by graft body
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Prawit report 'redacted' by graft body

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon protects his eyes from the sun while posing for photos with other cabinet ministers at Government House in December 2017. (File photo)
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon protects his eyes from the sun while posing for photos with other cabinet ministers at Government House in December 2017. (File photo)

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) handed a report on the infamous watch case of former deputy premier Gen Prawit Wongsuwon to activist Veera Somkwamkid on Thursday, as ordered by the Administrative Court.

However, many details remain redacted with black ink, Mr Veera, head of the Anti-Corruption People’s Network, said on Friday.

He said the court ordered the NACC to give details of the case to him within 15 days after the order was issued on May 2. He also gave the NACC another 15 days but said it has not sent him the complete documents as ordered.

On May 2, the court issued the order, accompanied with a 10,000-baht fine, after the NACC ignored an earlier order on Aug 22, 2019, to disclose to Mr Veera three documents relating to the NACC’s investigation into Gen Prawit’s alleged failure to declare his luxury wristwatches in a mandatory assets declaration with the NACC.

The earlier order was made by the Office of the Official Information Commission in response to Mr Veera’s petition.

Mr Veera said the NACC keeps ignoring the May 2 court order as he did not receive the full version of the three documents due to all the black ink and missing pages.

The redacted parts include the names of the NACC officers involved and other details.

“This is unacceptable,” he said, vowing to file another petition to force the NACC to submit all of the documents.

He said an official verification signature was not visible on any of the 1,000 pages of documents he received.

He said he was legally restricted from publicising the documents as he could face a year in jail and/or a maximum fine of 20,000 baht.

“But I don’t mind if I have to be in prison for releasing the paper. I will do so for the public benefit,” he said.

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