NACC finds ex-mayor, former senior Buddhism official unusually rich
The anti-graft body is pursuing charges against a former Ratchaburi municipality mayor and a senior Buddhism official for amassing unexplained wealth during their time in office
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will call on public prosecutors to charge a former municipality mayor and a former senior official of the National Office of Buddhism for being unusually wealthy.
NACC secretary-general Saroj Puengramphan said on Thursday that Samanan Laonitwisit had accumulated unexplained wealth totalling 231.74 million baht during her two tenures as mayor of the Muang Ratchaburi Municipality from 2010 to 2016.
Similarly, Narongdej Chainet had amassed an unexplained wealth of 30.09 million while serving in several senior positions at the National Office of Buddhism.
The NACC has recommended that the Office of the Attorney-General file corruption charges against both individuals and petition the court to confiscate their illicit wealth.
Samanan’s case
NACC investigators found that eight bank accounts belonging to her and her spouse were credited over 384 times while she was holding the position. Each transaction was worth more than 200,000 baht, and the accounts received a total of 180.45 million baht.
Saroj said the loan owed by Samanan’s husband had dropped by 48.29 million baht during the same period, while the couple also bought two luxury cars worth 3 million baht.
The NACC concluded that the couple’s declared income of 6.98 million baht, as reported in their tax filings from 2011 to 2016, could not account for the wealth they had accumulated.
Narongdej’s case
The NACC found that Narongdej and his spouse declared earnings of just 3.78 million baht between 2009 and 2017. Yet investigations revealed they possessed assets worth 30.09 million baht.
Narongdej’s personal assets included 8.98 million baht, including four bank accounts containing 7.50 million baht and three vehicles worth 1.33 million baht.
His ex-wife, whom he divorced on June 14, 2017, held assets worth 19.61 million baht, including 14 bank accounts containing 11.62 million baht. Additionally, his ex-mother-in-law held 1.5 million baht in special lottery deposits at the Government Savings Bank, despite having no declared income.
Narongdej had served in several senior positions at the National Office of Buddhism, including director of the Amnat Charoen Buddhism Office, director of the Buddhism Promotion Division and director of the Sing Buri Buddhism Office.
