A new law is being drafted to give the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) more power to demand cooperation from relevant state agencies in its investigations into corrupt politicians.

Pornthip Jala, secretary-general of the Council of State, the government's legal advisory arm, said yesterday there had been much progress in the drafting of the new legislation.

"We're going to complete it soon and will immediately report to the prime minister," she said.

Deputy Premier and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday confirmed that the Council of State was drafting a new law to increase the AEC's power.

Pornthip yesterday said some state agencies had failed to co-operate with the AEC as it was set up by an announcement of the Council for Democratic Reform, which staged the coup in September.

She said when it became law, the relevant agencies and officials would need to co-operate with the AEC - or they would be punished.

In their recent meeting with Council for National Security (CNS) chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and officials from relevant agencies, AEC chief Nam Yimyaem and other members complained about the failure of some agencies and officials to provide the necessary information and documents in its investigations. Others also failed to file petitions against corrupt politicians, the AEC said.

In a related development, the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) yesterday agreed to seek amendments to an anti-graft law so that it would no longer require a damaged party to file petitions against public officials suspected of irregularities, a source said.

The planned changes to the Corruption Prevention and Suppression Act of 1999 would make it easier to begin investigations into suspected irregularities by politicians, which in the end would benefit the work of the AEC, according to the source.

The NCCC would today present its proposed amendment to the Justice Ministry so that it would be forwarded to the Cabinet, the source said.

Meanwhile, the AEC yesterday named eight individuals and private companies as additional co-wrongdoers in its probe into alleged irregularities involving the CTX bomb scanners and baggage carrousels for the trouble-plagued Suvarnabhumi Airport, AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said.

Those accused include the construction giant Italian-Thai Development Plc, and Thai and foreign executives of the project's contractors, according to the spokesman.

Previously the AEC accused 23 former Cabinet members and state officials of involvement in the CTX scandal, including former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ex-transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and Airports of Thailand Plc's ex-chairman Srisuk Chandrangsu.

The AEC yesterday agreed to write to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to reiterate its earlier request for the Cabinet to issue a resolution requiring relevant government agencies to co-operate with its investigations, said spokesman Sak. The solution had been agreed at the AEC's meeting with the CNS chief but no action had been taken by the Cabinet.

The AEC also rejected a petition by Thaksin's lawyers opposing the appointment of three members of the CTX case's probe panel, including Auditor General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, on grounds that they had a conflict of interest about the matter and had a personal dispute with Thaksin.

The AEC argued that the grounds cited by Thaksin's lawyers were not convincing, according to the spokesman.

Piyanart Srivalo,

Bussarakham Sinlapalavan,

Hassaya Chartmontri

The Nation

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More suspects

Eight additional suspects in the CTX 9000 bomb scanner and baggage conveyor-belt scandals

1. Italian-Thai Development Plc

2. Tawatchai Suthiprapha, a director of ITO Joint Venture

3. Takenaka Corporation

4. Masahide Koniyoshi, board member of Takenaka Corp

5. Obayashi Corporation

6. Chiro Osada, board member of Obayashi Corp

7. Quatrotec Inc

8. Worawit Wisutchai, Quatrotec representative