He said he did not know why the Department of Probation said she had not performed the service after a department official had already verified that she had.

He said there were photos of “Praew”, who is being referred to by an alias because she was a minor at the time of the crash, cutting the nails of a patient, adding that the hospital was looking for old CCTV camera footage to clarify the issue.

In his capacity as head of the panel supervising Praew’s public service, Phiraporn said she had requested that she could perform 138 hours of service at the hospital between January 11 and Feb 12. She eventually reported to the court that she performed 90 hours.

The hospital had cooperated to help the woman fulfil her court-ordered service, which specified that she provide care to traffic accident victims, Phirapon said, adding that Department of Probation official Chanchanok Jiamcharoen visited the hospital on January 27 to observe Praew’s service and consult with Phirapon.

The doctor added the hospital had issued a certificate to confirm her public service.

“If [the Department of Probation] argued that it was wrong because the hospital wasn’t located in Nonthaburi [where the department is based], we would accept it because we didn’t know the legal details. We have already assisted the authorities by allowing her to perform public service. If that is not usable, then [the department] could tell her to find a Nonthaburi hospital to do this instead. End of story. We have just stepped forward to confirm facts and we don’t want this to be an issue between state agencies,” he said, adding he would explain the case to Army chief Theerachai Nakwanich.

Praew was given a four-year suspended jail term and required to perform 48 hours of public service each year. She was also banned from driving until the age of 25.

However, Department of Probation head Pol Colonel Narat Sawetanan insisted Praew, now 22, had not completed her public service in the past three years because she postponed it while she was in school. After she was ordered to perform the service, she filed a complaint against department officials with the Ombudsman’s Office. Narat said the department had not sent paperwork to the hospital about Praew’s service.

He said the department had set up a panel to investigate officials involved in the case and had already transferred the Nonthaburi Probation Office chief to another province.

Probation Development Bureau director Phayon Sindhunava said the department was waiting for a court hearing on June 21 before ruling on Praew’s alleged breach of her probation. He said if Praew’s 90 hours of service at the hospital were recognised by the court, it would be the first time service requirements were fulfilled at a facility not affiliated with the Probation Department. The woman still would have 48 hours to do.