University President: Local Corruption Cases Shielded From Top Officials
A university rector warns that local corruption cases are deliberately structured to protect senior officials while lower-ranking staff take the fall, undermining public trust in Thailand's justice system and civil service.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adisorn Naownaon, rector of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, has raised concerns about how local corruption cases are structured to shield senior officials from prosecution, with lower-ranking employees and associates frequently becoming fall guys. He noted that reaching high-level suspects requires intensive investigations supported by multiple witnesses and financial trail evidence, not just weak testimony alone. While reports suggest money has been converted to gold, he believes the Interior Ministry's disciplinary actions will only catch small fish, leaving the real criminal cases to the NACC and police, who must act with genuine independence and rigor to restore public trust. Regarding the political establishment's apparent reluctance to issue summons or arrest warrants despite public tough talk, he suggested that investigations often stall when they intersect with connected political networks, preventing prosecutors from reaching the true masterminds. Large-scale corruption linked to power networks typically employs a "cutting short" process to protect senior figures, leaving only subordinates and cronies to face charges. Beyond the financial damage of billions of baht, such cases destroy public confidence in Thailand's civil service and justice system.
