NACC rejects censure bid on Yingluck
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has rejected a petition seeking to retroactively impeach ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra over her alleged failure to make information regarding median prices for state procurement projects public on the internet.
NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljeak yesterday said the NACC voted unanimously against the proposal.
In 2012, Democrat Party MPs led by party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva lodged a petition asking the Senate Speaker at the time to launch impeachment proceedings against Ms Yingluck. The Senate Speaker forwarded the complaint to the NACC to investigate.
In the petition, Ms Yingluck, in her capacity as prime minister and defence minister, was accused of failing to comply with the Anti-Corruption Act.
Under the law, the NACC is required to advise the cabinet to order state agencies to make information regarding median prices and their calculations for state procurement projects available for public scrutiny on the internet.
State agencies must do this within 180 days of the cabinet reaching a decision on a procurement. State agency officials and political-office holders who fail to comply face removal from office.
Mr Sansern said an NACC inquiry found that the cabinet during the Yingluck administration resolved at a meeting on Dec 13, 2011 that all state agencies should speed up efforts to make public state procurement information in line with the law.
On July 17, 2012, the cabinet also instructed the Finance Ministry, the Budget Bureau and the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission to work with the NACC on measures to tackle corruption.
On Feb 12, 2013, the cabinet issued a resolution ordering state agencies, state enterprises and local government bodies to comply with the Finance Ministry's guidelines on the disclosure of median prices for state procurement and state construction projects, Mr Sansern said.
He said the NACC concluded there was no evidence of Ms Yingluck abusing power in violation of the Anti-Corruption Act as accused, and the allegation against her was groundless.
