Thailand acquits deputy prime minister in luxury watch scandal
- Prawit Wongsuwon’s explanation that he had borrowed that watch and more than 20 others from a dead friend was met with public ridicule
- The junta has promised to hold elections early next year, though critics are concerned the vote could be rigged to put current junta members into office
Investigators in Thailand acquitted the deputy prime minister of criminal charges of failing to declare assets a year after he was discovered to have several luxury watches that would have been out of reach of his government salary.
The saga began last December when photographs were taken at the unveiling of a new Cabinet. The minister of defence, General Prawit Wongsuwon, raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and reporters noticed his gleaming watch. A check of records of his disclosed assets showed he had never declared the expensive Richard Mille timepiece.
His explanation that he had borrowed that watch and more than 20 others from a dead friend was met with public ridicule.
The head of Thailand’s anti-corruption body said on Thursday that it determined Prawit’s explanation to be true.
“A committee of the National Anti-Corruption Commission has voted 5 to 3 to rule that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that General Prawit Wongsuwon had intentionally filed a false declaration of assets or was hiding required information,” Worawit Sookboon, secretary general of the commission, said at a news conference.