Visut denies being a tool for politicians

Published on September 27, 2005 - Visut Montriwat yesterday insisted he had acted of his own accord regarding his appointment and subsequent withdrawal as auditor-general, and denied he was a political puppet.

“I am not a tool for anybody,” he said in a press conference to clarify his position.

Visut applied for the job last September and the Senate voted to recommend his appointment for Royal endorsement in May.

He withdrew his name last Monday after it became clear that a royal command was not forthcoming due to the unclear job status of incumbent Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka.

In recounting his nomination, he said he made his own decision to seek the post of auditor-general because he viewed himself as a suitable candidate with the necessary background.

He said he had served more than 20 years in the Comptroller General’s Department gaining a wealth of experience in government accounting and his grandfather used to serve in the Office of the Auditor-General.

“I believe in rules and applied for the job as per prescribed regulations,” Visut said.

He said he did not comment on the matter earlier because he was still the nominee for the position.

“As it became clear that my appointment had reached a deadlock, I decided to remove myself in order to allow relevant parties to find a solution,” he said.

Visut said he needed time to reflect on his next career move, dismissing speculation that he might seek to be reinstated at the Finance Ministry.