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133166
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 15:48
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http://m.oananews.org//node/133166
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Anti-corruption agency delays decision on PM Abhisit's SMS case
BANGKOK, June 16 - Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has again postponed its ruling on the case against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij for wrongfully asking three mobile phone operators to deliver mass SMS text messages to 17 million telephones nationwide free of charge when they first took office in 2008, according to NACC Commissioner Klanarong Chantik.
Mr Klanarong, who is also NACC spokesman, told a press conference that the NACC could not yet rule whether it will proceed as the case could mean the removal of the prime minister and finance minister from office, so it requires careful deliberation.
He said the NACC needed to investigate further, particularly to find out whether or not the three mobile phone companies had realised any gains from doing as asked.
Sen Ruangkrai Leekijwattana has filed a petition seeking the removal of Mr Abhisit and Mr Korn from office for alleged abuse of power in asking three major mobile phone companies to send free SMS text messages to their customers, in order to introduce themselves after taking office in 2008.
Mr Ruanngkrai said the moves could be considered as violating Article 103 of the NACC Act which prohibits government officials from accepting any gifts or assets valued at Bt3,000 or more. They could be also impeached from their positions in accordance with the Constitution.
Mr Korn, on behalf of Mr Abhisit, reportedly met and asked the mobile phone operators to send the message one day after Abhisit took office in December 2008, saying "This is your new prime minister. May I ask you to help bring our country out of crisis. If you are interested in receiving further messages from me, please [reply] to 9191 (Bt3 per message)."
Mr Klanarong said the NACC will consider if the request by Mr Korn might be understood as asking for cooperation with the government, not the prime minister personally, and in the past the operators had cooperated with the government regularly such as doing public relations for the APEC meeting in Thailand and natural disaster alerts.
Whether the messages could be considered as violating individual privacy or not was also an issue to be deliberated by the NACC, he said.
The NACC did not set date for the decision, but the spokesman said that additional investigation was expected to be concluded as soon as possible. (MCOT online news)
Mr Klanarong, who is also NACC spokesman, told a press conference that the NACC could not yet rule whether it will proceed as the case could mean the removal of the prime minister and finance minister from office, so it requires careful deliberation.
He said the NACC needed to investigate further, particularly to find out whether or not the three mobile phone companies had realised any gains from doing as asked.
Sen Ruangkrai Leekijwattana has filed a petition seeking the removal of Mr Abhisit and Mr Korn from office for alleged abuse of power in asking three major mobile phone companies to send free SMS text messages to their customers, in order to introduce themselves after taking office in 2008.
Mr Ruanngkrai said the moves could be considered as violating Article 103 of the NACC Act which prohibits government officials from accepting any gifts or assets valued at Bt3,000 or more. They could be also impeached from their positions in accordance with the Constitution.
Mr Korn, on behalf of Mr Abhisit, reportedly met and asked the mobile phone operators to send the message one day after Abhisit took office in December 2008, saying "This is your new prime minister. May I ask you to help bring our country out of crisis. If you are interested in receiving further messages from me, please [reply] to 9191 (Bt3 per message)."
Mr Klanarong said the NACC will consider if the request by Mr Korn might be understood as asking for cooperation with the government, not the prime minister personally, and in the past the operators had cooperated with the government regularly such as doing public relations for the APEC meeting in Thailand and natural disaster alerts.
Whether the messages could be considered as violating individual privacy or not was also an issue to be deliberated by the NACC, he said.
The NACC did not set date for the decision, but the spokesman said that additional investigation was expected to be concluded as soon as possible. (MCOT online news)
