Bangkok: The Local Administration Department has announced its decision to proceed with the recruitment of local government officials, with a letter revoking the suspension order set to be issued on July 1st. The department aims to prioritize honest individuals by allowing them to report for duty first and will revoke appointments in cases of corruption.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Thanon Phanphiphas, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, explained that the previous directive issued on June 24th was an administrative directive rather than an order. This directive addressed the management of the candidate list and involved consultation with the Provincial Local Government Officials and Employees Committee for appointment considerations. The postponement of appointments arose due to public outcry and ongoing investigations into alleged corruption. The Central Committee for Local Government Officials and Employees emphasized the importance of protecting honest candidates while revoking appointments of those found guilty of corruption on a case-by-case basis.
Mr. Thanon confirmed that there is currently no evidence of corruption, and the department's files remain secure at Srinakharinwirot University. He expressed confidence that the files did not leak due to their secure storage system.
Addressing the possibility of re-examining the recruitment exam papers, Mr. Thanon stated that the papers are currently with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The department plans to request the NACC's cooperation in re-examining all answer sheets. Mr. Thanon noted that the re-grading process could take approximately one week, given the need to grade 480,000 answer sheets. If the NACC permits, the department will collaborate with its contractor, Srinakharinwirot University, to conduct the re-grading in front of the media.