PM says tainted recruits could lose civil service posts

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired an urgent meeting today following an alleged corruption scandal surrounding recruitment examinations for local government officials under the Department of Local Administration (DLA).

He vowed to nullify the results, even for candidates already appointed to civil service positions, if wrongdoing is proved.

Speaking before the meeting at Government House, Anutin said all agencies involved in the investigation have been invited to provide details of the case and discuss further legal action against those responsible.

Anutin said authorities will pursue criminal prosecutions, asset seizures and disciplinary action against everyone involved in the alleged scheme, adding "Action must not stop at the DLA. If the investigation leads to anyone at higher levels, legal action must be taken to the fullest extent."

The prime minister, also interior minister, said the Interior Ministry must find a way to nullify the examination results if the investigation confirms fraud.

"If the origins are poisonous fruit, if the process was unlawful from the beginning, everything must be cancelled," he said. "Those affected can seek remedies from those responsible themselves."

He rejected arguments that appointments should stand simply because recruits had already entered government service, saying

"If investigations, prosecutions and court verdicts confirm wrongdoing, anyone who benefited from that mechanism lacks the required qualifications and I will not accept any proposal to simply let the matter pass because it has already happened. That is impossible when the appointments stem from corruption."

Anutin noted that local administration officials have been implicated and that he has instructed the Interior Ministry to coordinate with provincial governors, including the governor of Phetchabun, to remove suspects from duty as quickly as possible pending investigation.

"If people who are supposed to govern and administer the country begin their careers through corruption, while honest candidates lose opportunities because of interference, it damages the nation," he said.