Questions over Anutin aide Thongchuea Chatkitcharoen’s university contacts move centre stage as Rangsiman Rome summons the PM. MPs are also chasing withheld government files, 800,000 exam papers and financial trails involving over 70 people.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul faces a formal House summons as Thailand’s ฿4.5 billion local government examination scandal reaches deeper into official and political circles. Committee chairman Rangsiman Rome wants answers over financial trails involving more than 70 people, contacts between Anutin’s aide and Srinakharinwirot University, and undisclosed senior figures. Meanwhile, 5,925 examination scores were altered, ฿320.86 million in assets have been frozen and 800,000 answer sheets still await scrutiny. Anutin, who was at the United Nations in New York when the summons was announced, must appear before MPs on October 8.
House committee chairman Rangsiman Rome on Thursday formally summoned Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul over Thailand’s widening local government examination scandal. Anutin must appear before the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights on October 8. The move escalates parliamentary scrutiny of suspected corruption surrounding local government recruitment examinations.
Rangsiman, a People’s Party list MP and deputy party leader, announced the decision following another committee hearing. Members voted 7–5, with one abstention, to summon Anutin and Naruecha Khosasiwilai. Naruecha is the former Director-General of the Department of Local Administration. Separately, members voted 12–0, with one abstention, to summon Srinakharinwirot University Rector Cholawit Jearajit.
Each man has a different connection with the recruitment process. Srinakharinwirot University played a central role in organising the examinations. Meanwhile, the Department of Local Administration supervised the local government recruitment system. Anutin is both Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
Anutin faces formal summons as MPs pursue his aide’s contacts and repeated committee absences
Until now, Anutin had been repeatedly invited to provide information but had never personally appeared. Rangsiman acknowledged that Anutin was overseas on official business on Thursday. However, he said previous invitations had also failed to secure his attendance. No representative appeared for the Prime Minister on Thursday either.
The committee has consequently invoked its statutory summons powers. Rangsiman said anyone failing to appear without adequate justification could face further proceedings. Moreover, relevant civil servants could face disciplinary consequences.
At the same time, the committee is pursuing questions surrounding Thongchuea Chatkitcharoen, a member of Anutin’s working group. Rangsiman said Thongchuea had been invited several times. Yet he had neither appeared nor responded, according to the committee chairman. Attempts to reach him by telephone had also failed.
Crucially, the committee has obtained information concerning Thongchuea’s contacts with Srinakharinwirot University. Rangsiman said Department of Local Administration personnel coordinated with Thongchuea before he held discussions with university personnel. University representatives denied those discussions concerned arrangements for the examinations.
University talks involving Anutin aide deepen scrutiny as MPs seek answers from rector and police
That answer created another question for MPs. If examination arrangements were not discussed, Rangsiman wants to establish what those meetings actually concerned. Accordingly, the committee wants information directly from Rector Cholawit. University representatives had previously appeared, but Rangsiman believes the rector may possess useful information.
No wrongdoing by Thongchuea has been established from the material publicly disclosed. Instead, MPs want him to explain the contacts himself. Anutin previously wrote to the national police chief seeking information concerning his aide. Subsequently, the Prime Minister received a response, according to Rangsiman.
The contents remain undisclosed. Rangsiman has therefore urged Thongchuea to appear and answer the questions personally. He also called on Anutin to ensure his aide provides an explanation.
On another front, Thursday’s hearing produced fresh information about financial trails. Rangsiman said evidence involved more than 70 people, including senior officials and ordinary citizens. Notably, he said some connections could extend above director-general level within the Interior Ministry.
Financial trails involving more than 70 people raise questions over senior officials and political links
Rangsiman declined to disclose names before the information was verified. Nevertheless, he said government agencies possessed corresponding evidence. The committee is now examining how those people fit into the wider case.
Furthermore, Rangsiman said he had received information concerning people described as “the boss’s protégés”. Some carried surnames associated with prominent figures, he said. Government agencies had received the same information, according to Rangsiman. However, the significance of those connections has not been established.
The material could potentially reach national politics. Rangsiman said people requiring scrutiny included MPs and parliamentary committee chairmen. Some figures could occupy positions above MP level. Still, he refused to identify ministers or confirm that ministers were involved.
Likewise, Rangsiman would not confirm whether officials above director-general level meant permanent secretaries. He said the information first required factual verification. He also indicated that some figures under examination could rank above ministers.
Another question concerns whether candidates benefited through connections rather than direct payments. The “boss’s protégés” information could become important in establishing that distinction. For now, however, it remains evidence requiring further examination.
NACC seeks withheld government files as funding shortage delays checks on 800,000 examination papers
In parallel, the National Anti-Corruption Commission is struggling to obtain material assembled by a separate government fact-finding team. Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt chaired that work. Rangsiman said the team had identified several people requiring further examination.
The NACC wrote to Anutin seeking the material at least two weeks earlier, Rangsiman said. Yet the commission had still not received it by Thursday. In response, the House committee decided to seek the material independently.
A separate problem concerns the physical examination records. Approximately 800,000 answer sheets require checking. Rangsiman said the NACC lacked funding to rent equipment needed to process them. Consequently, an important part of the evidence review could face delays.
Those papers could help establish whether registered candidates actually sat their examinations. Investigators are checking claims that some people registered but may not have taken the tests. The question is whether any such names subsequently appeared among successful candidates.
Altered scores hit 5,925 candidates as appointments are revoked and ฿320.86 million in assets frozen
The recruitment exercise attracted 438,277 applicants. Of those, 279,949 actually sat the examinations, while 55,193 initially appeared on successful candidate lists. Subsequent administrative checks established that 5,925 candidates had altered scores.
Of those, 5,145 originally failed but received sufficient additional marks to pass. Another 774 had already passed but nevertheless received extra marks. More recent administrative action divided the 5,925 cases into two groups. Some 3,868 had already been appointed, while 2,057 had not.
Among those already appointed, 146 agreed to resign. Officials moved to revoke appointments for the remainder affected by the altered results. Meanwhile, candidates not yet appointed were blocked from entering local government positions.
Beyond the administrative action, the case developed into a much larger financial investigation. Earlier investigative estimates placed its suspected economic scale above ฿4.5 billion. The Anti-Money Laundering Office subsequently began tracing transactions and assets. By September 11, AMLO had seized or frozen ฿320.86 million.
Police division fails to attend House hearing as Anutin faces scrutiny while on official UN trip
On another front, Thursday brought questions concerning the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division. Rangsiman said Anutin had issued written instructions ordering its representatives to attend the committee hearing. Nevertheless, nobody from the division appeared.
Rangsiman publicly questioned why a state agency had failed to attend despite instructions from the Prime Minister. The absence became particularly relevant because Anutin had previously sought police information concerning Thongchuea. The police response to that request remains outside the public domain.
Anutin himself was in New York when Rangsiman announced the committee decision. The Prime Minister was attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly on an official overseas mission. Rangsiman explicitly acknowledged those official duties while distinguishing them from Anutin’s previous committee absences.
Anutin returns from overseas mission as multiple agencies press ahead and October House hearing looms
Anutin was scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday before travelling to London. His overseas mission also includes economic, investment and diplomatic engagements. He is due back in Thailand on September 27.
Meanwhile, the examination case continues across several separate state processes. The NACC is pursuing corruption questions, while police are handling possible criminal offences. AMLO is following assets and financial movements. The Interior Ministry has separately dealt with appointments affected by altered examination results.
Local government examination scandal moves closer to a crunch. Rangsiman Rome calls on PM for answers
Local government examination fraud probe rolls on. Anti corruption commission and police pursue cases
Rangsiman’s committee has now opened another potentially significant avenue. It is seeking the government fact-finding files while examining the financial information involving more than 70 people. At the same time, it wants direct answers concerning Thongchuea’s university contacts.
The names of several senior figures remain undisclosed while that evidence is checked. However, the committee has fixed its next major step. Anutin, Naruecha and Cholawit are due before MPs on October 8.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Follow Thai Examiner on Google here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
PM Anutin laughs off what political pundits see as rising threats to the stability of his government
Opposition alleging a potential whitewash by Election Commission on Friday over Senate election case
Ex PM and Democrat Party leader urges politicians implicated in Senate Collusion files to come clean
