The National Counter Corruption Commis-sion (NCCC) will soon inform at least 10 people - including politicians - about charges against them over their involvement with alleged irregularities in the controversial Klong Dan waste-treatment project, commissioner Wicha Mahakhun said yesterday.

Those people were involved in the issuing of land-title documents for the project, Wicha said.

He declined to identify the politicians involved but added: "You sure can guess who they are."

He said he would also propose changes in the Land Department regulations that allow its junior officials to issue such documents for state and public land. Influential people could force junior officials to issue documents entitling them to own public land plots, he explained.

Meanwhile, Wichai Wiwitsevi, a commissioner investigating irregularities in the waste-treatment project, said the subcommittee would start investigating 34 witnesses from Monday until the end of January.

It would finish the case by the end of March, he said. Alleged wrongdoers from the private sector would be subject to lighter penalties than those who are government officials.

The case's statute of limitations ends in June next year.

Pakdee Pothisiri, who is in charge of investigating scandals relating to the Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority's Bangna-Bang Pakong expressway project, said the commission was preparing to inform alleged wrongdoers of the charges against them on December 25. The 11 alleged wrongdoers include former deputy prime minister Sukhavich Rangsitphol.

The NCCC held a press conference yesterday to announce its achievements in the past two months since its appointment on October 6.

NCCC chairman Panthep Klanarongran said that besides having indicted wrongdoers in four cases, the NCCC had appointed 47 subcommittees to investigate 47 cases.

The commissioners in charge of the cases said they would expedite many cases - such as the alleged illegal issuing of regulations to increase the benefits or allowances of former Constitution Court judges, former election commissioners and former Ombudsmen - before the end of the cases' statute of limitations.

The four cases the panel had finished included the case of Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Manit Suthaporn, who has been dismissed from the civil service for alleged corruption related to a 1994 land auction.

Another case involves Revenue Department officials, including director-general Sirote Sawasdipanich, for alleged malfeasance for not taxing Bhanapot Damapong, brother-in-law of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, over his Shin Corp shares transaction.

Panthep said in the past two months the NCCC had finished examining 2,580 assets-declaration reports and had publicised the assets declaration of the members of the Thaksin and Surayud Chulanont governments. The assets of former deputy prime minister Pinij Charusombat and former public health minister Suchai Charoenratanakul had yet to be declared. Newly appointed Deputy Finance Minister Sommai Phasee and PM's Office Minister Prasit Kowilaikul must also declare their assets to the NCCC within 30 days of their appointment on November 19, he said.

Among the 11,459 cases left unfinished by the former NCCC, it had returned 232 cases to inspectors, rejected 120 cases and dismissed 193 cases, he said.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation