Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), unveiled new evidence on Tuesday to counter the verdict of the selection committee, which voted to disqualify him from office over his failure to resign from posts prohibited by law.
The move coincided with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul seeking royal approval to remove Dr Sarana from office following the selection panel's ruling.
Mr Anutin said on Tuesday he proceeded according to the law and due process, and denied the removal would create a vacuum for NBTC functions as the remaining six commissioners can still perform their duties.
NEW EVIDENCE
Dr Sarana said he acquired a document from Mahidol University on Monday that confirms he officially resigned from all staff and employee positions at the university and Ramathibodi Hospital on Jan 8, 2022, before his appointment to the NBTC office.
Dr Sarana said his medical work between January and April 2022 was conducted as an independent specialist to ensure patient safety during handovers.
He cited his 2022 tax filings, which categorises his earnings as professional fees under Section 40 (6) of the Revenue Code, rather than a fixed salary under Section 40 (1).
The NBTC law requires commissioners to work full-time and prohibits them from holding other paid positions or engaging in occupations that could create conflicts of interest.
On Dec 22, 2021, the Senate instructed five candidates including Dr Sarana to resign from any posts prohibited by NBTC law by Jan 11, 2022. All of them were royally appointed on April 13, 2022.
The NBTC selection panel was later shown evidence that Dr Sarana allegedly held temporary employee status as a physician at Ramathibodi Hospital's Faculty of Medicine, with hourly payments from Jan 8 to April 12, 2022.
Dr Sarana said he was not a government officer, having resigned from government service on Jan 8, 2022, nor was he an employee.
The NBTC board meeting on Tuesday to consider agenda items was again aborted, the fourth failed meeting in a row since July 27, after four commissioners boycotted the session over the chairman's qualifications. The three previous board meetings were aborted on the same grounds.
Dr Sarana questioned why the committee concluded its investigation in just 37 days without waiting for official clarification from Mahidol University.
He said he views the meeting boycotts by commissioners as a strategic game played by opposing factions.
"It's all a game. I can't tell you exactly what they are thinking, but you can see the moves for yourself," Dr Sarana told the press after Tuesday's meeting collapsed.
Pirongrong Ramasoota, one of the commissioners who continued to boycott the meetings over the qualification ruling, said she is not playing a game, but has a strong intention to perform her duties.
Dr Sarana said the pressure on Mr Anutin to expedite his removal is based on incomplete and contested information. He then questioned potential irregularities within the NBTC selection committee.
For instance, the panel's chairman allegedly turned 70 in November 2023, a milestone that typically triggers retirement for NBTC board members, said Dr Sarana.
"Why was this issue not raised? It should be the same standard for everyone," he noted.
Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC, dismissed rumours that the internal conflict was tied to the planned approvals of the Universal Service Obligation budget, explaining that these require a full board resolution and cannot be authorised by the chairman alone.