appointed deputy governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang to the post instead.
Published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, order number 64/2016 said the ongoing investigation into allegations against the elected governor, whose term was to end in next few months, would require time. New gubernatorial elections cannot be organised either because National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) orders are still in place.
In his capacity as NCPO chief, Prayut ordered the removal of Sukhumbhand and his deputies before appointing Aswin as successor on the grounds that the city administration needed to maintain consistency in its work. Aswin will choose up to four deputy governors.
The order said the appointment or removal of deputy governors would require the premier’s approval. It also said the prime minister could dismiss the governor and his deputies if they dishonour their position or neglect their duties leading to serious damage to the city, the civil service, peace and order, or public well-being.
Prayut initially ordered the suspension of Sukhumbhand in late August pending an investigation into alleged irregularities and appointed deputy governor Pusadee Tamthai to act as caretaker governor in Sukhumbhand’s absence.
Meanwhile, Prayut told reporters at Government House yesterday that people should not jump to conclusions about who is at fault because the process was still continuing. He said the order was necessary as administrative work had to continue, otherwise budget management could not go ahead.
Separately, Asawin said Prayut called him at around 9am yesterday to tell him about his appointment, adding that he had heard from senior officials that many Cabinet members also supported the idea of him taking over as city governor.
He said he planned to appoint four deputies by Friday and submit the names for the prime minister’s approval, adding that the people chosen for the posts would be capable city administrators and acceptable for society.
He said he planned to appoint Bangkok’s former deputy permanent-secretary Jakkapan Phiewngam, while the remaining three positions would be filled by new people. He added that he would fill the four positions of deputy permanent-secretary and other vacancies by the end of the month in order to minimise the impact on the city’s administration.