House panel wants to hear from DSI chief again over 'men in black'

A House committee Wednesday unanimously resolved to summon Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdith to repeat his statement to the committee about the operations of the so-called "men in black" during the 2010 political riots.

Democrat party-list MP Watchara Petthong, chairman of the House Committee on Political Development, Media and Public Participation, said the committee had taken recourse to the Summons of House and Senate Committees Act 2011 to summon Tarit to give his statement again.

The committee also resolved to file a complaint with the Justice Ministry over Tarit's casting doubt on the panel's authority to question him. Tarit said the works of the DSI and the now defunct Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation are protected under the Information Act 2007.

The committee said Tarit also walked out of the previous committee meeting without showing proper respect and cooperation. It said his actions were in violation of Article 135 of the Constitution.

The committee called on the ministry to order Tarit to give a written answer about his assessment of and objections to the committee's authority.