Apirak to decide his future after ruling on fire fighting trucks

Following reported pressure by Democrat Party for him to resign, Apirak affirmed yesterday that he would not quit until the NACC announced its ruling, and that if he was found guilty, he and his team members would stop working immediately.

There are also rumours that the party has already prepared Apirak's replacement - a Democrat MP with close ties to party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

According to an informed source, the subcommittee probing the case is set to propose that the NACC declare the 11 people involved in the case, includ¬ing Apirak, as guilty.

The source said the subcommittee considered Apirak guilty according to the criminal law's Article 157 because the Bt6.7 billion contract, which he signed, was against the Cabinet's resolutions and that it was a reckless action because he had not listed to opposing arguments.

An NACC source said that if Apirak was found guilty the commission would decide if he would have to stop working temporarily. If the agency could not come to an agreement on this, the case would be forwarded to Interior Minister Kowit Wattana, who is also the supervisor of BMA, or be sent to the Constitutional Court.

"This case is complicated because they would have to see if Apirak becoming Bangkok governore for a second term affected the case."

Lat Krabang Municipal Councillor Visoot Samretwanit has urged Apirak and his deputies to quit in protest if the NACC rules against him.

Meanwhile, Apirak said he would check the legality of the petition - filed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyers - accusing him of breaking the Criminal Law's Article 157 on grounds of dereliction of duty. He is blamed for not taking action against the People's Alliance for Democracy for besieging Government House and blocking traffic.

He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration needed cooperation from other government agencies to carry out the duties.

In related news, Democrat Party secretarygeneral Suthep Thuagsuban said the party had never interfered with the probe and that it would accept the NACC ruling.

If Apirak were to be found guilty, he would stop working and wait for his case to be tried in the Supreme Court. Explaining that he had been following the case from the very beginning, Suthep said a lawyer had told him that Apirak had no choice but to open a letter of credit for the firetruck procurement deal because the contract had been signed before he became governor.

He added that he was not worried because the NACC and the Supreme Court would consider the case according to the evidence.

With regards to rumours that Apirak would be forced to leave the Democrat Party if found guilty, Suthep said they would wait for the ruling but confirmed that they had made the right decision in nominating Apirak for his second term as governor because he was good at his job.