NACC has submitted names of minister nominees facing complaints: Phumtham

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had submitted the names of ministerial candidates with complaints against them to the Secretariat of the Cabinet, but he had not seen the list, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Saturday (August 31).

He added that it was up to the Secretariat and the Office of the Council of State to review the matter. 

However, he believes the process will be completed promptly. Each agency that conducts the investigations will report on the individuals involved, any past cases, and the issues at hand. Once the reviews are completed, the findings will be submitted based on the actual investigation results from each unit. And it is now up to the Secretariat and the Council of State to consider the findings, he said.

When asked whether the various investigation processes would be completed by next week, Phumtham responded that he expects everything to be submitted by September 15, give or take three days, due to procedural steps involving the royal process that they cannot bypass. If the investigation processes are expedited, everything will proceed more quickly.

Asked whether the Democrat Party had already submitted the minister candidate names, he replied that it was following the established process. If they have held summary meetings and reached a clear decision, they have sent the names for investigation. He said that the submissions were likely already with the Cabinet Secretary. 

When asked about opposition within both the Pheu Thai Party and the Democrat Party to their alliance in forming the government, and whether this would affect the image of the government, Phumtham said one must consider what the confidence and image of the new government were based on. According to various surveys, what the public desires most is for the government to promptly begin working by forming a united front, he said. This unity would provide the government with the opportunity to address the country's problems during a period of crisis, he added.