Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya, who chairs the ACOC, said the prime minister can exercise his powers under Article 44 of the interim charter to immediately transfer them to inactive posts.

Paiboon refused to confirm that the fourth batch included officials involved in the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Bt39-million New Year light show scandal.

He said he suspected that the centre was working on the alleged corruption in the City Hall’s light show.

A source said the scandal was not in the fourth list submitted to the PM.

Chart-udom Titthasiri, chairman of the Monitoring and Auditing Committee on Fiscal Expenditures, quoted an international anti-corruption agency, which he did not identify, as saying that corruption problems in Thailand have dropped remarkably, with bribery complaints falling by half over 15 years.

The country has enjoyed the best image in terms of transparency in 10 years.

Chart-udom was delivering the report to a meeting chaired by Prayut to tackle corruption.

Prayong Preeyajit, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, reported to the meeting that the organisation had received 551 complaints about irregularities related to therice-pledging scheme over the past three to four years

A PACC-appointed committee is investigating o47 issues, while 504 other issues are at a preliminary investigation stage are initially being investigated.