Celebrity cop hire lands Thai House speaker in hot water
Lawmaker accused of favouritism in high-profile civil appointment
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha is facing an ethics complaint after allegedly pulling strings to appoint a high-profile officer to a key role in the parliamentary office.
Former Democrat MP Wachara Phetthong has filed an ethics complaint against House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, accusing him of bypassing parliamentary procedures to bring a high-profile police officer into the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
The controversy centres around Police Captain Atitiya Benjapak, a celebrity-turned-civil servant who previously made her mark in beauty pageants, singing, and acting before joining the Royal Thai Police in 2020. Her rapid rise has now landed her in the spotlight again, this time for political reasons.
According to Wachara, Wan, through his secretary, asked the Department of Provincial Administration to temporarily assign Atitiya to the House Secretariat. This request allowed her to take on additional duties while keeping her current position as a deputy district chief in Mueang district, Sisaket province.
Wachara claims the move violates multiple ethical codes, including the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Committees 2020, and the Ethical Standards for Judges of the Constitutional Court and other top officials 2018. He argues that Wan, as the head of the legislature, should uphold the highest ethical standards and refrain from using his authority for what he calls “personal convenience.”
“This type of recruitment could lead to misuse of public resources, especially travel budgets.”
Wachara has asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate and requested the matter be resolved within 15 days.
Asked whether Wan could fairly oversee the investigation, given his roles as both House Speaker and chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Wachara insisted Wan should excuse himself during any inquiry, reported Bangkok Post.
Pol. Capt. Atitiya officially reported for duty on Thursday, October 2, meeting with the Sisaket governor and district chief to begin her new responsibilities. Despite the storm of criticism, there has been no public comment from Wan or the House Secretariat.
The NACC has not yet announced whether it will accept the case, but with a former MP raising red flags over ethics, transparency in high office is once again under public scrutiny.
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