Srettha tells AMLO to be transparent and strictly follow the law
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday told executives of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to work in a quick, transparent manner while following the principles of laws to maximise work efficiency while minimising public criticism.
Respecting human rights and ensuring that legal executions are clear and verifiable are also important, added the PM, who doubles as the finance minister.
Srettha visited the AMLO headquarters in Bangkok on Thursday for the first time since he took office in August to deliver policies to the agency.
AMLO chairman Chatchai Phromlert said Srettha was the first PM to personally visit the agency since its establishment 24 years ago.
In his address, Srettha said that AMLO is important for the country’s security, especially in dealing with illegal activities by foreign capital groups, also known as ‘grey businesses’ in Thailand.
“AMLO is a central agency responsible for asset seizure, a mechanism that could stop several problems at their source,” he said.
Chatchai informed the PM that AMLO had so far, this year, seized assets of suspects worth over 82 billion baht, with another 6 billion baht still in the legal process.
He said that AMLO agents had always felt public pressure in high-profile cases, while the agency was allotted a budget of only 432 million baht this year.
Chatchai, however, expressed confidence that AMLO would be able to complete the seizure of the pending 6 billion baht of assets within this year. He thanked the PM for the visit, which had helped boost the morale of AMLO officials and strengthened public confidence in the agency.
