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Published on March 7, 2008

Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat yesterday transferred a group of 31 officials at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to a new unit. The group earlier worked on the controversial SC Asset share-concealment case.

Among those facing the purge were senior investigators and the head of the team probing alleged share concealment by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Pojaman.

The 31 DSI officials will all be seconded to the newly established Office of the Prevention and Suppression of Public-Sector Corruption. Sunai Manomai-udom, former chief of the DSI, was earlier seconded to become the caretaker secretary-general of the new agency.

Among those moved were Pornchai Asawawattanaporn, who once headed the SC Asset investigative committee, deputy DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit and Aporanee Semarasut, public-relations chief and secretary to former DSI chief Sunai.

The DSI's new spokes-man, Narach Sawettanan, described the mass secondments as "routine temporary transfers".

"They are being loaned to the new agency to help it with its work. Technically they are still with the DSI. Some of them may come back to work at the DSI," he explained.

He insisted the secondments were not a purge as the new agency needed staff to operate.

The spokesman was recently appointed by the new DSI chief Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, who replaced Sunai at the order of the justice minister. Tawee had been moved from the DSI to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board after the 2006 coup.

Meanwhile, deputy government spokeswoman Suparat Nakbunnam said yesterday Sunai had asked Justice Ministry permanent secretary Jaran Pakdithanakul for the 31 DSI officials to be seconded.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, described the secondments as a bid to remove dissident officials and interfere with the DSI's investigations involving Thaksin and his family's business concerns.

"I doubt they have been borrowed by Sunai to help with the new agency," he said. "Sunai would only do this if he were under pressure from politicians. In a way it could be good for the officials - they are unlikely to have a bright future at the old agency," the activist said.

The DSI had handled the SC Asset share-concealment case, the extrajudicial killings and  alleged irregularities in Krung Thai Bank loans.

The Nation