"There's no [political] intervention in the NCCC, and we are confident we can work to the best of our ability," he said, adding that the commission would stick to available laws and treat all parties fairly

The NCCC's nine members were appointed last Friday by the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM).

Panthep said the panel members had received no special instructions from the CDRM.

Eight of the commissioners attended yesterday's casual meeting at the NCCC office. The only one not there was Wicha Mahakhun, who had a busy court schedule.

After the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, Panthep said the panel members felt no pressure in regard to their new mission.

"We volunteered to do the job. It's an honour for us, so we'll work proudly to pay back to our motherland," he said.

The NCCC will look promptly into the more than 10,000 cases that have built up at the agency, as many of them will see their statute of limitations expire soon, Panthep said.

Klanarong Chantik, an NCCC member, said the new appointees were briefed yesterday by the agency's permanent officials about the scope of their responsibilities.

In a related development, outspoken academic Kaewsan Atibhodi and two other failed candidates for the Election Commission were not appointed to the national anti-graft agency because they did not meet the required qualifications, said Meechai Ruchuphan, who is familiar with the junta's order.

Kaewsan had never been a director-general or a professor and so was not qualified. Retired judges Nam Yimyaem and Udom Fuangfung, were  70, the maximum age.