ICT minister to announce resignation

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) - Thailand's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Sittichai Pookaiyaudom will announce his resignation at a press conference at 3pm Friday, after the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) found that he and two other ministers hold shareholdings in excess of 5 per cent in private companies, according to ICT ministry spokesman Visanu Mee-yu.

Interior Minister Aree Wong-arya and Deputy Commerce Minister Oranuj Osathananda were also found to be holding shares of over 5 per cent in private companies.

Mr. Visanu said Mr. Sittichai wanted to set the standard that politicians should resign to take ethical responsibility after accepting that they were in breach of the law.

Although they are not required by Thai law to be dismissed from their ministerial posts, Mr. Sitthichai said that his resignation is the best way to deal with matter and said he wanted to express the spirit and also set the precedent for other politicians.

The minister believed his decision to resign would not have a major affect on the government as it has only three to four months left before handing over administrative authority to the newly-elected government, the spokesman said.

Mr. Sittichai also believed that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont would assign one of the deputy prime ministers to act in his stead as ICT minister, he said.

The ICT minister's shareholdings include 16.17 per cent ownership of Mahanakorn University of Technology, the university he founded, as well as a 31.33 per cent stake in Thai Space Industry Co. Ltd and a 31.36 per cent stake in the Technology Research and Development Co. Ltd.

While he disclosed his personal shareholdings to the NCCC, he failed to transfer ownership of the shares to a legal entity as required by law.

Deputy Commerce Minister Oranuj, meanwhile, admitted that she holds shares in private companies which are part of her family business and that there is as no conflict of interest in her portfolio.

She owned 66 per cent of a guest house business and a 12.5 per cent share of a small hotel.

However, the minister said she had decided not to step down at the moment as she believed she could help the interim government.

She said she will consult with Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet and the other two scandal-hit ministers before making the final decision.

Meanwhile, Mr. Aree confirmed he will not resign as he believed it was a politically-motivated accusation.

The minister said he had already transfered all shares back to the original owner to spare the company for further loss.

TNA

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Quote:the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) found that he and two other ministers hold shareholdings in excess of 5 per cent in private companies

If they broke the law, shouldn't they be arrested and charged?

Thailand's controversial 'YouTube' ICT minister throws in the towel

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) – Thailand's controversial Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Sittichai Pookaiyaudom -- who gained worldwide attention for Thailand by banning the popular video-sharing site YouTube for five months in the kingdom-- will tender his resignation to Prime Minister Gen. Surayud Chulanont on September 29 after the premier returns to Bangkok from the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Mr. Sittichai announced his intention to step down after the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) found him and two other ministers holding shares in excess of 5 per cent in private companies, a violation of the former Thai constitution.

Interior Minister Aree Wong-arya and Deputy Commerce Minister Oranuj Osathananda were also found to be holding shares representing over 5 per cent in private companies.

Mr. Sittichai said he would definitely resign although he is not required by Thai law to be dismissed from his ministerial post.

The minister said that his resignation is the best way to deal with matter and said he wanted to express the spirit and also set the precedent for other politicians.

"I decided promptly to step down as the ministerial post is a position of dignity and honour, and I want to set the standard that politicians should resign to take ethical responsibility and maintain that dignity, after accepting being in breach of the law", he said.

He affirmed that he was not an intended infraction of law, but he felt he should comply with the spirit of the law.

The minister said he would submit his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister on September 29 to be effective September 30.

Gen. Surayud is in New York to represent Thailand at the UN General Assembly and is scheduled to return to Bangkok on September 29.

Mr. Suttichai said he believed his decision to resign would not have a major affect on the government as it has only three to four months left before handing over administrative authority to the newly-elected government.

He said he would propose to the premier that Prime Minister's Office minister Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan act in his stead as ICT minister,noting that Khunying Dhipavadee previously was Permanent Secretary for the ICT ministry.

"I am not a professional politician as I was invited to join the cabinet," Mr. Sittichai said. "I was unaware of the details of the law. I reported my shareholdings as required but did not transfer ownership. I certainly had no intention to hide the shares.''

The ICT minister's shareholdings include 16.17 per cent ownership of Mahanakorn University of Technology, the university he founded, as well as a 31.33 per cent stake in Thai Space Industry Co. Ltd and a 31.36 per cent stake in the Technology Research and Development Co. Ltd.

The minister said his stakes in the companies were not a conflict of interest in his post.

While he disclosed his personal shareholdings to the NCCC, he said, he failed to transfer ownership of the shares to a legal entity as required by law.

After steps down, he said he would return to academic life and would not be involved in politics again.

The 1997 constitution bars cabinet ministers from holding personal shares over 5 per cent in a company to prevent possible conflicts of interest.

This approach is being applied by the Assets Examination Committee in investigating shareholdings of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra during his time in office.

The 1997 constitution was set aside in last year's coup, so its pronouncements do not technically apply to the present situation, but nonetheless the NCCC questioned the appropriateness of the shareholdings.

Sitthichai gained international attention for Thailand by banning the video-sharing site on April 3, citing Google-owned YouTube had carried materials which Thai authorities deemed offensive to the Thai monarch and people.

The ban was lifted in August after a combination technological and legal solution was reached, with YouTube developing a modified filter technology which allows it to screen materials available in Thai cyberspace.

The ICT minister stressed earlier that the government did not want to shun people’s freedom to Internet access but the clips deemed insulting the King was something that Thais could not tolerate.

TNA

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Two more cabinet members resign over stockholdings

Two more cabinet members have resigned from Surayud government over their ethical concerns over shareholdings they held, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Monday.

They were Natural Resources and Environment Minister Kasem Sanidwong na Ayudhaya and Deputy Foreign Minister Saowanit Kongsiri.

The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) have accused last week five cabinet members of having shares in companies in excess of a five per cent limit imposed on ministers prior to the coup, but which is not a punishable offence under the interim constitution.

Surayud said the three others; Interior Minister Vijit Sri-saarn, Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla and Deputy Finance Minister Phasee, refused to resign as they viewed that their holding of shares in the firms did not violate the laws.

The prime minister was speaking after chairing a special cabinet meeting to consider the NCCC's charges over the cabinet members.

In the meeting, he said, he allowed each cabinet member to explain and defend themselves on the NCCC's accusations.

Monday's resignation will make five cabinet positions vacant as three other ministers earlier accused by NCCC on the same charges had already resigned.

"Therefore, I have to reshuffle the cabinet. But I am well aware of the remaining time left beforre the country has the national election scheduled in December 23, I will make a minor reshuffle," he said.

He said he expects to submit list of new cabinet members for the Royal endorsement within this week.

The prime minister criticised NCCC of releasing the list to the media without informing the cabinet members. He said he instructed that next time the NCCC should contact each cabinet member it is investigating instead of telling the media.

The Nation