By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin unsuspectingly made verbal statements to confirm the alleged cronyism over promotion of certain police officers, according to an opposition MP.
Move Forward MP Rangsiman Rome said the prime minister gave inadvertent confirmation of alleged cronyism in which he could be practically more or less involved by allegedly looking to promote police officers as superintendents as earlier requested by a number of Pheu Thai MPs.
Srettha’s verbal statements were posted online as he was allegedly complaining to those Pheu Thai MPs during last Tuesday’s partisan meeting about hush-hush requests for him to promote some police officers as superintendents who would be in charge of police stations in their respective constituencies.
Rangsiman was responding to the prime minister’s blunt dismissal of the alleged verbal statements which, he said, may have been made truthfully, albeit inadvertently.
“If the prime minister denied that he had said or done anything about the alleged cronyism, how could he possibly know who among the Pheu Thai MPs would be disappointed and who else would be pleased with too many of their requests for newly-named superintendents in the first place?
“The prime minister’s denial given at a later date was merely a lame excuse,” the Move Forward MP said.
Nevertheless, Srettha who was quoted as saying to the coalition lawmakers that he had found such requests “too many” then categorically denied he had said so or done anything which could possibly otherwise have involved himself in the alleged nepotism.
Given his part of the alleged cronyism, Srettha could possibly be impeached and deprived of the premiership if finally found to have violated the constitution and political ethics, which ultimately prohibit him from interfering in the internal affairs of police officers and other government personnel, according to the Move Forward lawmaker.
The opposition MP said he would not consider Srettha’s verbal statements about the alleged nepotistic promotion for superintendents at police stations in those Pheu Thai MPs’ constituencies as “a slip of the tongue” since, he said, the message was unambiguous and truthful.
“Thanks for the prime minister who virtually turned out to be a Natasha giving an unsuspecting, truthful confirmation of the cronyism among police officers which may have been unlawfully practised since the last several generations,” Rangsiman said, referring to a fictitious female spy.
Though everyone in the political and bureaucratic circles may be constantly aware of the laws against cronyism, some may as well practically look for legal loopholes and contentious privileges of higher-ups in government in pursuit of undue personal or partisan interests, Rangsiman said.
He said the prime minister’s verbal statements allegedly made during the recent Pheu Thai partisan meeting were timely with classified shortlists of police officers at the ranks of deputy commanders, superintendents and inspectors who are scheduled to be transferred or promoted by their superiors within the end of this month.
He said it remains to be seen who among an estimated 3,000 police superintendents nationwide might possibly be transferred or promoted in nepotistic fashion as alleged.
CAPTION:
Move Forward MP Rangsiman Rome, left in above photo and right in Front Page photo, and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
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