“I expect a fact-finding committee to conclude its investigation next week,” the ministry’s permanent secretary Sopon Mekthon said yesterday. “I am also preparing to launch a disciplinary probe.”

The alleged sexual harassment reportedly took place at the ministry’s Office of the Permanent Secretary.

“As soon as we received a complaint from a female temporary employee in early August, we transferred the accused official and launched an investigation,” Sopon said.

He added that he would ensure the alleged wrongdoer was punished.

Sopon advised any official or employee of the Public Health Ministry to come forward if something inappropriate had happened at their workplace.

“Don’t be afraid of speaking up. We will ensure justice,” he said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the victim in the sexual-harassment case said she had been subjected to groping since 2014, often in front of her colleagues.

“He had threatened to not renew my employment contract if I resisted. He’s my direct supervisor,” she said.

The victim, 30, said no one in her unit had tried to stop the supervisor during incidents of sexual harassment.

“There are several other victims in the same unit,” she said.

The victim said she had previously lodged a complaint with a unit at the Public Health Ministry but the sexual harassment had not stopped. She said she could not bear such harassment any longer and had decided to ask a colleague to help secretly install a camera to record the misbehaviour.

Then on Saturday, she lodged a complaint with the Muang Nonthaburi Police Station and produced evidence.

“We will summon the accused official. If he does not respond our summons, we will issue an arrest warrant,” Pol Lt-Colonel Wachiranusorn Kampaeng, an inspector at the station, said yesterday.