Ministers have to take responsibility for any obstruction to the work of the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) if government agencies fail to file complaints against people alleged to have committed wrongdoing by the AEC, the head of the Council for National Security (CNS) said yesterday.

General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said ministers would have to file the complaints or tell damaged agencies to file the complaints. The CNS would only be able

to coordinate with the government to help the AEC solve problems.

Sonthi was speaking after a meeting with the AEC, and prime minister's secretary-general General Pongthep Tesprateep.

He said the main problem the AEC faced was lack of cooperation from government agencies, especially when it needed complaints against the wrongdoers to be filed by agencies deemed to have suffered losses.

Sonthi said government officials "working inactively" would have to improve, because the time for annual reshuffles was drawing near.

AEC spokesman Sak Korseangruang said the AEC had asked for the Cabinet's resolution to have government agencies cooperate with the AEC in filing complaints.

However, it also asked for amendment to the law, cancelling the requirement of damaged parties to file complaints against alleged wrongdoers, he said.

"If the amendment doesn't take too long and corruption eradication is set as a national agenda, it will benefit the AEC. We are one-third through our allotted time, so we have to hurry to finish the work in time," he said.

Appointed by the coup makers last September, the AEC has a one-year term.

AEC members attending the meeting included Sak, AEC chairman Nam Yimyaem, Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, Udom Fuangfung, Klanarong Chantik and Amnuay Tantara. General Winai Phattiyakul, CNS secretary-general, General Saprang Kalayanamitra and General Anupong Paochinda, assistants to Sonthi were also at the meeting.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who was scheduled to attend the meeting, was in Phetchaburi meeting university executives.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp, said Surayud would meet the AEC soon.

Nam said: "I'm confident

that from now on the AEC will

be able to work smoothly and receive proper cooperation. However, it will be up to the consideration and power of the government and the CNS as to what measures they will take against the agencies who are not being cooperative."

A CNS assistant secretary, Saprang told the AEC to do its "very best against corruption" as he was serious about the problem, Nam said.

Nam said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also agreed to translate documents relating to AEC investigations from foreign languages into Thai, for the AEC to use as evidence in court - including the procurement of the CTX 9000 bomb scanners and fireboats.

Nam said the AEC had not asked the government and the CNS to reshuffle officials who were reluctant to file complaints - as the issue was up to them to consider.

The AEC had earlier complained that government officials were reluctant to file complaints against the wrongdoers, partly because they were also in charge during the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government - or were still "loyal" to Thaksin.

Sak said the AEC has also appointed two investigation committees yesterday. AEC member Banjerd Singkaneti will chair the panel investigating the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry's rubber seedlings project, while Udom will chair the panel investigating the land purchase of Thaksin's wife Khunying Pojaman.

He said the AEC should be able to finish its investigation into the alleged tax evasion case against Pojaman and her brother Bhanapot Damapong, by early February.

Panya Thiewsangwan,

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation