Writer: KING-OUA LAOHONG
Published: 23/09/2009
Newspaper section: News
Anti-corruption officials are accusing 12 people, including former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama, of misconduct over the signing of a joint communique with Cambodia concerning the Preah Vihear temple.Noppadon: Resigned over temple row
The National Anti-Corruption Commission will release the findings of its inquiry into allegations about the communique today, but yesterday would not say who the 12 were. But a source close to the commission's inquiry confirmed Mr Noppadon, a former lawyer for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was among them.
Serving cabinet members and government officials are included in the investigation into the role of 44 people in connection with the signing of the Preah Vihear communique.
NACC member and spokesman Klanarong Chantik said the commission had yet to decide whether to formally accuse 32 individuals over the communique in which Thailand gave support for Cambodia's unilateral registration of the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
The communique was declared illegal as it had not been approved by the parliament as required by law.
The decision on the 32 individuals would be made on Sept 29, the NACC spokesman said.
He said the delay was caused by the adjournment of yesterday's NACC meeting when chairman Panthep Klanarongran had to leave to attend a senator selection at parliament.
Mr Noppadon was foreign minister in the Samak Sundaravej administration when the communique was signed. It had not received prior consent from the parliament as required by Article 190 of the 2007 constitution.
The NACC yesterday did not say if Mr Noppadon was among the 12 people being formally accused.
Its decision to name the 12 for further legal action ignores the recommendation of its fact-finding subcommittee that only Mr Noppadon formally face prosecution, the source said.
The subcommittee, headed by Somluck Jadkrabuanpol, thought the evidence was sufficient to implicate only Mr Noppadon and that the others under investigation should be spared further legal action, the source said.
The panel felt that if formal charges were laid, they would likely be acquitted.
Mr Noppadon signed the joint communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 18 last year.
The Constitution Court later ruled the communique unconstitutional as it had bypassed parliamentary approval. Mr Noppadon later resigned as a political row raged over his decision to recognise Cambodia's right to Preah Vihear, which Thailand has never fully accepted.
The ministers investigated by the NACC who served under Mr Samak and are now in the present cabinet are Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, Information and Communications Minister Ranongruk Suwunchwee and Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit.
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