A decision by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to take its time in its investigation into alleged recruitment exam fraud has raised fears that only small fish will be caught.
The anti-graft agency this week announced it would need another three to six months to complete its investigation. The probe centres on allegations of fraud and bribery in a recruitment examination for positions at the Department of Local Administration (DLA) under the Ministry of Interior. More than 430,000 applicants sat the examination last December, competing for over 6,500 positions.
The investigation aims to identify those who demanded kickbacks in exchange for guaranteeing favourable examination results and recruitment. The alleged payments reportedly ranged from 350,000 to 800,000 baht, depending on the position sought.
The NACC's decision to proceed cautiously has raised doubts. It has said the investigation will initially focus on officials at the operational level. To be fair, an investigation of this scale must proceed carefully. However, the additional time should ensure that the probe reaches those ultimately responsible, not just lower-level offenders.
Members of the public have every reason to worry that a case in which minister-level politicians have been implicated could end up as a flash in the pan, fading away once public attention shifts elsewhere.
The NACC must not ignore public sentiment. Confidence in the agency recently took a hit when it cleared former transport minister Saksayam Chidchob of allegations of concealing assets, despite the Constitutional Court later finding the former Bhumjaithai Party secretary-general at fault.
Political observers have suggested that the exam scandal reflects an ongoing power struggle involving Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Interior Ministry figures and Newin Chidchob, the influential strategist behind the Bhumjaithai Party.
The public has witnessed a prolonged power struggle within the Interior Ministry, long regarded as a source of political influence and patronage. The rift reportedly deepened following the recent transfer of local officials in Phuket, with bureaucrats said to have been forced to choose sides as rival factions sought to undermine one another. The controversy has been fuelled by a series of leaked audio clips allegedly linking the wife of Interior Ministry permanent secretary Unsit Sampantharat and a key political figure identified as "Krit" to the recruitment exam scandal.
According to political speculation, Prime Minister Anutin supports permanent secretary Unsit, while Mr Newin is backing Narucha Kosacivilize, director-general of the DLA. Mr Narucha was also at the centre of the "Help the Blue Party" controversy surrounding the Feb 8 poll. The "blue party" has widely been perceived as a reference to the Bhumjaithai Party. The controversy was exposed by Rungroeng Thimabut, an assistant to the Phuket governor. Last week, Mr Rungroeng was transferred pending an investigation after being accused of acting as a middleman in demanding money from applicants in the DLA recruitment examination.
All eyes are now on the NACC. The case is an opportunity for the agency to restore public trust and confidence. It must meet public expectations by ensuring that everyone found to have committed wrongdoing is held accountable, rather than allowing the investigation to become another casualty of political power struggles.
