Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of APTC, called for the NACC to investigate contracts between Preecha’s son Pathompol, who owns Contemporary Construction Limited Partnership, and the Third Army Area, Water Resources Regional Office 9 in Phitsanulok province and the Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO) of the same province.

The company has won bids for 11 construction projects.

Srisuwan asked whether any favours were granted by the agencies to Preecha’s son, because the company has a registered capital of just Bt1.5 million but has been able to win contracts worth Bt155 million.

Pathompol is also a nephew of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as Preecha is PM’s younger brother.

Of the 11 projects, seven came from the Third Army Area worth Bt 97 million, one from Water Resource Department worth 44.8 million, and three projects worth 13 million from the TAO. The contracts were obtained for three years – 2014 to 2016.

The related four other officials facing investigation are Third Army chief Lt-General Somsak Nilbanjerdkul, former Third Army chief Lt-General Sathit Pitrat, president of Phitsanulok Provincial Administrative Organisation Monchai Wiwatthanat and director of Water Resources Regional Office 9 Phitsanulok Chonlathorn Pancharoen.

“The firm was founded in 2012, when Preecha held the influential position of Third Army chief, which may be the reason why the company won the contracts [from the Army],” Srisuwan noted.

“We want the NACC to investigate if there were any terms of reference written by the different parties to accommodate each other. We think the contracts between the firm and the Army and the other two state agencies in the area could be violating anti-corruption bills,” he said.

For the sake of thoroughness, Wissanu said the government will disseminate the draft among the agencies and the public, so they can say whether the measures proposed are too heavy or too lenient.

The draft caused controversy because its previous version was ambiguous about penalties against the state officials and their families. It said that up to “seven generations of the family of a fraudulent official” would be punished for their actions. This draft is part of the government’s effort to address corruption and reform anti-corruption measures, especially within state offices.

In response to the controversy, Wissanu said the government had now reduced the guilt links to “four generations” – or just children, parents and siblings who benefited from a fraudulent official’s actions that were in conflict with the state’s interest.

The process will take a month or so before the Cabinet studies the draft again and forwards it to the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation and endorsement. The draft can then be enacted by the end of this year, Wissanu said.

However, he declined to comment on whether corruption could be controlled with the new bill, only saying that it would scare away ill-intentioned persons, especially those who wished to propose projects for their own benefit.

Wissanu added that the bill would not be too strict against minor offences such as using state materials like envelopes or charging devices inside state buildings. He also said that guidelines will be provided about what exactly can be deemed as an offence.

He also said that once the new Corruption Court begins operating on October 3, it will be given some cases from the Criminal Court. And if the new court proves to be popular, more regional branches will be set up to ease the burden.

Surachai said the NLA needs to consider other issues, such as the rights of existing independent agencies’ members as well as the time required to restructure the said organisation.

The issue emerged after the Election Commission (EC) began drafting a third organic law concerning its operation last week, and Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said that if the Constitution Drafting Commission was planning to restructure the EC, then it must do the same to other independent organisations. The CDC chief responded by saying that the commission has yet to address the issue and would listen to all parties concerned at its September 28 meeting first.

Surachai said the NLA’s representatives would also participate in the discussion, as the NLA would have to deliberate the organic laws and it would be useful for the legislators to listen to different opinions.

Other concerned organisations, including the EC, have said that they are ready to join the CDC next week to discuss the organic laws, primarily on political parties and the election of members of the House of Representatives.

Somchai said they could explain the draft and other related documents submitted earlier to the CDC.

Meanwhile, EC president Supachai Somcharoen and member Prawich Rattanapian will meet with the drafters the following day to discuss organic laws for the agency, Somchai said. News has been circulating that authorities have suggested that EC offices in the provinces be disbanded.

Somchai said the EC would explain the necessity of having provincial branches at next week’s discussion. Separately, Democrat Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon said the party was willing to send representatives if requested but had not so far received any invitations from the CDC.

In a petition submitted to the anti-graft body on behalf of Yingluck, her lawyer Norawich La-laeng said that Supa Piyajitti, an NACC commissioner who heads six subcommittees, is not fit for the task due to her antagonistic views about the former prime minister.

Among the pending cases are those concerning alleged mismanagement during the massive 2011 floods and alleged wrongdoings in payment of compensation to those affected by political unrest.

Norawich said Supa was head of the subcommittee in charge of accounting for the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme and she had leaked confidential data to the opposition and later testified in the Supreme Court against Yingluck in the rice-pledging case.

As a result, she is an antagonist and biased against the defendant. So it is not fair for the anti-graft body to appoint such a person to take charge of investigation in other cases involving Yingluck, the petition said.

According to the lawyer, the NACC should have appointed other commissioners to lead the investigation. At present, the NACC has nine commissioners.

Meanwhile, Yingluck said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha |should focus on improving the |people’s economic well-being |rather than on the criminal and |civil-liability cases against her.

The former premier said there are already 15 cases pending against her. Yingluck said she has not been treated fairly as the cases against her are being fast-tracked compared to those against other politicians.

Earlier, her former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and five others were also hit with civil-liability lawsuits to pay a combined Bt20-billion compensation to the government for financial damage caused by alleged fake government-to-government contracts to sell 6.2 million tonnes of rice to China.

In a speech on September 19, Yingluck said that Thais lose the opportunity to stand proudly among world communities every time a coup takes place and hoped that she was the last leader to be ousted in a coup.

Abhisit, also a former premier, said he agreed with Yingluck in that there is a price to pay every time a coup happens and that Thai people do indeed lose out. However, he said, it was also necessary to think beyond the losses and see what can be done so coups do not recur.

“I think the most important thing is how we can learn from the past and ensure it is not repeated. If we keep blaming coup makers, we will never be able to learn anything or see a clear picture,” Abhisit said, adding that coup makers always explained what caused them to step in.

He also pointed out that Thailand has had several sets of norms and rules, with the most democratic one being the 1997 constitution, yet Thailand has continued encountering problems.

This is because those concerned have not been able to establish a political structure that can embrace different ways of thinking and ideologies.

“Centralised politics” is still predominant, he said, explaining that politicians use people’s power as if it were a permit to do anything, which is contrary to the democratic principle.

Interference in the media, he said, was what brought people to the streets as it was no longer allowed to be a platform where all sides can air their wishes.

Also yesterday, their lawyer lodged a complaint asking the Office of the Attorney-General to withdraw the case.

The lawyer for the activists, Khoomklao Songsomboon, said the court went ahead with the process yesterday as scheduled, in which the defendants were asked if they would plead guilty before undergoing “reconciliatory measures”.

The process is widely known as a justice reconciliatory alternative to the punitive measure of a jail sentence.

However, the defendants stood firm in their decision to fight the case, saying they had done nothing wrong and would not accept the charge, as it might set a precedent that any actions unfavourable to the junta were illegal, a source said.

“We will fight the case to the end, as the defendants’ action is not illegal and did not breach Section 61,” the lawyer said.

The five defendants – NDM activists Pakorn Areekul, Anucha Rungmorakot, Anan Laoked, student red-shirt supporter Panuwat Songsawatchai, and reporter Taweesak Kerdpoka – were charged with violating Section 61 of the Referendum Act, which prohibits the dissemination of “false”, “vulgar”, “inciting” and “intimidating” information relating to the August charter referendum.

The defendants were intercepted in early July after police searched their car and found leaflets with anti-charter messages.

Reporter Taweesak said he was with the activists only to report on their activities.

Public prosecutors decided to indict the five in late August. Some “Vote No” stickers were also allegedly found in the car, though the defendants claimed that Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said such stickers were not illegal.

Earlier in the day, their lawyer lodged a complaint with the Office of Attorney-General, asking the case be withdrawn as a “gesture of reconciliation”.

The complaint said the reporter was innocent because he was on duty when arrested. It also noted that the lawsuit did not contribute to public interest, as the expression of opinion on the referendum was part of people’s basic rights. Hence, the case should be withdrawn.

Meechai said yesterday the CDC has not addressed the issue at any of its meetings and it has not had any thoughts on the issue. He urged all sides to stop speculating.

The CDC, he said, would meet with concerned parties on September 28 and listen to their views before taking any action.

Meechi was asked if he thought the EC would need restructuring, as the appointment of two additional commissioners would possibly cause differences in work style. He replied that different work style should not be an excuse; as people have to work with others with various backgrounds.

CDC spokesman Chatchai na Chiangmai said the commission’s sub-panel on public hearing has sent invitations to parties’ representatives to listen to their views on the drafting of the political party and the House of Representatives election bills. Other concerned agencies have also been invited to contribute. Regional meetings would also be held for locals to air their views on other organic laws concerning public interest, he added.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court said it would look into the CDC’s revision of the charter draft following the additional question approved on the referendum last month. It asked people whether they would allow the appointed Senate to jointly choose a prime minister.

The court is set to deliver its constitutional verdict on September 28.