"Normally when a fire breaks out, police should investigate and capture the culprits in 10 days. If they can't, I'll have to look into their reasons and see if the superintendents and commanders did their best or not. If they neglect their duty, then we will see how it goes from there," Seripisut said, adding that those arrested must not be scapegoats.

Buri ram :Governor accused of corruption

An citizens' group in Buri Ram yesterday filed a corruption complaint against provincial governor Yai Rojsuwanichkorn, accusing him of illegally spending donations meant for an anti-narcotics project. The provincial branch of the People's Power Network said there was only Bt1,000 left in a bank account that originally held Bt170,000 donated by parents in Buri Ram two years ago in a fund-raising campaign under the "To Be Number One" scheme initiated by Princess Ubolratana.

The group claimed Yai had authorised withdrawals for spending on projects that were in violation of the fund's regulations. 

NCCC reforms :New process to pick graft busters

The selection process for graft busters is slated to undergo sweeping changes in order to prevent political interference and ensure effective  checks and balances, a charter writer said yesterday.

"Members of the selection panel for the National Counter Corruption Commission [NCCC] must be individuals who cannot be bought or sold," Nurak Mapraneet said.

The 15-member selection panel should be revamped to comprise five members so as to weed out those partisan representatives and university presidents susceptible to government pressure, he said. The five members of the NCCC selection panel should include three judicial leaders from the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Constitution Court, he said, adding the other two would be the Parliament president and the opposition leader.