Claims of an organised criminal network inside Thailand’s civil service as Rangsiman Rome demands conspiracy charges, money-trail investigations and says Interior Minister Anutin cannot pass the buck.
Thailand’s sprawling local government examination scandal has ratcheted up to a new level after People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome urged investigators to treat it as organised crime rather than routine corruption. The firebrand MP alleges that a coordinated network manipulated recruitment for tens of thousands of civil service jobs with senior approval. As Parliament examined claims of insecure examination data, controversial contract changes and weak candidate checks, Rome called for AMLO and the NACC to follow the money, arguing Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cannot escape responsibility for overseeing the debacle. Furthermore, he has demanded investigators determine whether one of Thailand’s biggest public sector scandals was driven by a criminal conspiracy inside the state.
People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome has called for Thailand’s widening local government examination scandal to be investigated as possible organised crime, arguing that the alleged manipulation of recruitment for tens of thousands of civil service posts could not have occurred without senior approval.
The chairman of the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights said investigators should pursue offences including criminal conspiracy instead of treating the affair as a conventional corruption case.
He argued the evidence pointed to an organised network operating inside the civil service. He also urged the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to expand the investigation by tracing financial transactions, identifying beneficiaries and seizing assets linked to the alleged scheme.
Parliament hears claims of insecure exam data and contract changes deepening suspicions
Mr Rangsiman briefed reporters at Parliament on Tuesday after the committee examined irregularities surrounding local government recruitment. The inquiry focuses on examinations affecting tens of thousands of positions nationwide.
He said the committee initially reviewed the examination’s Terms of Reference. However, investigators quickly uncovered what he described as serious weaknesses in the handling of examination data.
According to the committee, information stored on flash drives was not encrypted. As a result, the files were vulnerable to alteration without adequate safeguards. Mr Rangsiman said the discovery cast immediate doubt on the integrity of examination results. He added that proper protection of candidate data appeared to be absent despite strict procurement requirements.
Separately, the committee examined changes to the examination contract. Burapha University had originally been selected to conduct the examinations. Later, the Central Committee for Local Government Personnel Examinations transferred the contract to Srinakharinwirot University.
Contract switch and candidate checks questioned as committee examines key decisions
Mr Rangsiman said the committee exercised its authority while citing a letter from Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to the Department of the Treasury. Consequently, he questioned why such a significant contractual change occurred after the original procurement decision.
Notably, the committee also examined how successful candidates were approved. Mr Rangsiman said the Civil Service Commission announced the final recruitment list without detailed verification of answer sheets.
He also said no comprehensive review of the underlying examination data took place before appointments were confirmed. In turn, tens of thousands of successful applicants entered the recruitment process despite what he described as inadequate scrutiny.
Mr Rangsiman rejected suggestions that the affair amounted to negligence or an administrative error. Instead, he argued the evidence pointed to deliberate coordination involving multiple decision-makers.
Rome urges organised crime charges as committee seeks money trail behind examination scandal
He said billions of baht were connected to the recruitment exercise. He also argued that changes to procurement, examination procedures and candidate approval required authorisation at several levels.
“This isn’t just a simple corruption case,” Mr Rangsiman said. “It could also fall under charges of organised crime or other types of offences.”
He said investigators should examine whether officials acted together as part of a criminal conspiracy. He argued that the scale of the alleged manipulation ruled out isolated misconduct. Moreover, he said the inquiry should establish who authorised each major decision and who ultimately benefited from those decisions.
As part of this, Mr Rangsiman invited AMLO to assist the parliamentary investigation. He said the agency should accelerate asset seizures and follow financial transactions connected to the alleged network.
In parallel, he urged the NACC to investigate the conduct of public officials involved in the recruitment process. He said investigators should determine how money moved, who received it and whether public resources were improperly used.
Anutin cannot evade responsibility as Rome demands inquiry into top officials and political oversight
On another front, Mr Rangsiman criticised reports that consideration of revoking appointments had been delayed. The firebrand MP said the public was watching closely for attempts to distance political figures from the scandal.
He also criticised senior ministry officials for shifting responsibility onto the ministry’s secretariat. He described that approach as irresponsible. Instead, he said every official connected to the recruitment process should face investigation where evidence justified it.
Mr Rangsiman argued that no operation of this scale could have succeeded without approval from senior management. “If senior management hadn’t given the green light, this entire corruption scandal wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
In response to suggestions that political leaders were not directly involved, he rejected any attempt to separate responsibility from authority.
Police are to summon, charge staff found at a private property in Nonthaburi working on exam papers
2 Masterminds behind the civil service exam scandal jailed in Bangkok as scale of the corruption emerges
He argued that Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul could not evade responsibility after leading the ministry for an extended period. According to Mr Rangsiman, responsibility extended beyond administrative staff to those exercising overall control of the ministry.
Looking ahead, Mr Rangsiman said the parliamentary committee would continue gathering evidence while expanding cooperation with law enforcement agencies. He said investigators must identify those who approved key decisions, those who profited financially and those who coordinated the alleged operation.
Ultimately, he argued the investigation must determine whether the scandal represents organised criminal activity embedded within Thailand’s civil service rather than a series of isolated acts of corruption.
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Further reading:
Police are to summon, charge staff found at a private property in Nonthaburi working on exam papers
Job appointments in poisoned exam process goes ahead as the impact of the scandal is still expanding
Jobs for cash corruption scandal creating shockwaves as Deputy PM promises to uncover the full truth
