Updated: Gen. Bling “explains”

It is reported that the Deputy Dictator has sent a letter to the compromised National Anti-Corruption Commission, “explaining” his watch. We understand he’s only “explaining” how he came by one of his (so far identified) 11 luxury watches.

While the Anti-Corruption of Thailand has General Prawit Wongsuwan on top of its corruption watch list, we are thinking that the cover-up won’t take long (we hope we are wrong).

After all, no one would be surprised that the chief of the NACC Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajakij, and old family friend and subordinate is handling most public aspects of the case.

One thing that puzzles PPT is that the NACC only seems interested in mystery bling and wealth post-declaration on taking political office. It seems uninterested in understanding or investigating how it is that these corrupt police, generals, admirals and air marshals got so unusually wealthy while being in state employment.

Why is it that General Prayuth Chan-ocha can declare 3 million baht’s worth of watches and seemingly no one asks how this is possible.  No one seems to ask about these corrupt officials when they declare assets of hundreds of millions of baht. It is as if the declarations are laundering the ill-gotten gains.

Update: The Nation reports that, as expected, General Bling has named a “third party” as involved in his watch/es case. That party “would be called upon to testify in the case…”. Apparently, “Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, the NACC president, and the commission was now examining the letter in detail.” That’s despite the obvious and well-known conflict of interest.