Health Minister may lose job due to wife’s shares

Thailand’s graft-busting body on Tuesday ruled that Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap violated the 2007 Constitution by failing to report his wife’s shareholding in excess of the five per cent ownership limit in a private company, an action which may have cost the minister his job

The National Counter Corruption Committee (NCCC) resolved to forward Mr. Chaiya’s statement and other information involving the case to four parties directly concerned — the prime minister, the House Speaker, Senate Speaker and the Election Commission chairman — for further deliberation before a final decision will be made whether or not to submit the case to court as the NCCC has no authority to rule in the case, according to NCCC member Klanarong Chantik.

Thailand’s Constitution stipulates that Cabinet members and their spouses are prohibited from owning more than five per cent of equity stakes in any company.

Mr. Chaiya failed to notify the NCCC about his wife’s shares exceeding the legal limit by the deadline when he filed a report on his assets and liabilities with the anti-graft agency after the six-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej took office in early February.

The embattled minister later said that he had no intention to conceal his wife’s financial assets, but he was unaware that his spouse’s financial report should be included.

However, the NCCC found that his explanation had no grounds.

Mr. Chaiya later vowed he would not resign but stay on job, saying he is not quilty.

The public health minister is no stranger to controversy as he was earlier targeted by a network of patients, consumers and non-governmental organisations which gathered 20,000 eligible voters’ signatures to call for his removal from office, citing his decision to review the compulsory licensing (CL) enforcement on key cancer drugs and his transfer of senior health ministry officials as the major reasons for their move.

Mr. Chaiya stirred outrage after being perceived to have the interest of multi-national pharmaceutical companies more at heart than concern for Thailand’s poor.

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