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Published on January 23, 2008

"I do not yet know which position I am going to get. The only thing I can say is that at my age, I want the chance to serve the nation. I am ready to accept any position as I am fully qualified," he told The Nation in a telephone interview.  

Plodprasop actually retired from the ministry last October but the PM's Office Secretariat ordered him to be expelled in December as punishment for his part in approving the export of tigers to China in 2002 when he was director-general of the Royal Forestry Department (RFD).

Plodprasop, whose name is listed as the possible Environment and Natural Resources Minister, said he had heard about the PM's Office decision but did not pay any attention to it.

"For me the decision is nothing to do with the law as I have a clean slate. I am protected by an amnesty issued on December 5. So, there is no reason for me to pay any heed to it," he said.

Plodprasop referred to a 2007 retroactive amnesty law which stated that criminal and disciplinary records of those who already been punished before December 5, 2007 shall be deleted.

Moreover, Article 6 indicates that the punishment shall not apply to those whose cases were terminated before December 5, which was marked as his Majesty the King's birthday.  The law was issued to celebrate the His Majesty the King's 80th birthday.

According to Plodprasop, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005 instructed the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry to drop the case after a government panel to investigate claims of disciplinary violations by Plodprasop concluded that he did not violate any regulations in allowing the export of 100 tigers to China.

The panel was chaired by Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan.

"I received an amnesty on HM the King's birthday, so any decision made after that would not apply to me," he insisted.

In 2002, Plodprasop, then director-general of the RFD, allowed Sri Racha Tiger Zoo to export 100 Bengal tigers to a private zoo on the island of Hainan.

As the tigers are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, exports can only be carried out between governments and only for research and education.

However on August 9, last year the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) concluded that despite Dhipavadee's panel cleared Plodprasop, the NCCC found him guilty of involvement in the export of the tigers.

At that time, NCC spokesperson Klanarong Chantik, said that the commission would send its findings to Plodprasop's supervisor and call for disciplinary punishment. They were also sent to the Office of the Attorney-General to begin a criminal action.

It was believed that the decision of the PM's office was to follow the NCCC's decision. 

Pennapa Hongthong

 Janjira Pongrai

 The Nation