Bangkok: The Ministry of Interior is intensifying its efforts to combat corruption within local government examinations, directing the Local Government Examination Committee to convene an urgent meeting to annul the licenses of 3,621 individuals implicated in cheating.
According to Thai News Agency, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Arsit Vejjajiva, announced in a press conference the advancement in the investigation into the examination corruption scandal. The Local Government Examination Committee is scheduled to meet urgently to revoke the appointments of 3,621 individuals involved in the scandal. A central agency will be enlisted to reevaluate and re-rank examination results, aiming to bring fairness to over 9,000 honest candidates. Coordination with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the police is underway to take firm actions against those involved.
Today, Mr. Arsit Sampantharat, alongside Mr. Nirat Pongsitthithavorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary, and Mr. Boonprasong Nuansai, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, discussed the ongoing efforts to address the corruption in the local government recruitment examination.
Mr. Arsit outlined the issues in the examination process, highlighting that Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, appointed Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn as Acting Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, effective immediately. This appointment is to ensure transparency and accuracy in resolving the crisis. The involvement of a high-level executive is deemed crucial to manage the challenges facing the government agency.
The Ministry of Interior is actively working to resolve the irregularities found in the scores of 5,814 individuals, divided into three groups. Discussions with the Acting Director-General and the Secretary of the Central Committee for Local Government Employee Examinations (CGE) have been initiated to expedite the process. The CGE will convene tomorrow to decide on revoking the appointments of the first group, consisting of over 3,621 individuals with proven misconduct, to restore fairness for the 9,174 candidates who passed the exam legitimately.
Following the revocation, the Ministry plans to collaborate with credible central agencies to reassess over 800,000 answer sheets and recount scores for all test participants. This will lead to a new ranking and announcement of successful candidates in a transparent manner. The second and third groups with irregular scores will also undergo re-evaluation to ensure accuracy. Legal investigations are in place to verify these findings.
The Ministry of Interior is committed to addressing the examination system's issues seriously. The Local Government Examination Committee (LGEC) and all parties involved in the examination results will be held accountable. The police and NACC are investigating those involved in corruption, and further updates will follow if evidence surfaces. The Ministry expresses confidence in the new Acting Director-General's ability to manage the situation effectively.
Mr. Nirat Pongsitthithavorn emphasized the immediate priority of confronting the problem. He will coordinate with the NACC and police to monitor legal proceedings against the 3,621 offenders, ensuring timely action in revoking their appointments. The recovery of salaries or benefits will be assessed based on legal criteria.