NACC probes ex-PM Srettha over 10,000 baht digital wallet funds
Anti-graft agency targets ex-Cabinet over controversial fund move
Former prime minister Srettha Thavisin is under fire as the country’s top graft-busting agency launches a high-stakes probe into claims he and senior officials misused state bank funds to bankroll the government’s controversial digital wallet scheme.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced it has accepted a complaint alleging malfeasance and violations of the Fiscal Discipline Act by Srettha and key Cabinet members. At the centre of the scandal is the reallocation of funds originally set aside to repay debts owed to five state-run financial institutions.
NACC deputy secretary-general Surapong Intarathawon confirmed that the funds, meant to compensate banks for losses linked to previous government subsidy programmes like the farmer debt suspension and crop price guarantees, were allegedly redirected to support the 10,000 baht digital wallet campaign.
Critics have slammed the move as a political ploy to boost the popularity of the Pheu Thai Party at the expense of long-term financial stability.
“The investigation will include all officials who approved the fund reallocation at the August 13 cabinet meeting.”
Those facing scrutiny alongside Srettha include Pornchai Thiraveja, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, and Koranin Kanchanomai, deputy director of the Budget Bureau.
The complaint alleges that shifting debt repayment funds into the central budget for populist spending violates Section 144 of the constitution, which prohibits altering allocations legally bound to repay financial obligations under Section 28 of the Financial and Fiscal Discipline Act.
Meanwhile, the NACC has cleared former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her Cabinet, ruling they were not in office when the alleged misconduct occurred.
A separate 5-2 vote also dismissed calls to investigate House budget committee members and lawmakers who backed the 2025 budget bill, citing insufficient evidence linking them directly to the budget manoeuvre.
As the probe unfolds, political analysts warn that the case could have serious implications for the credibility of the digital wallet policy and any future economic stimulus efforts, according to Bangkok Post.
The NACC has yet to announce a timeline for the investigation’s conclusion, but the spotlight is now firmly on Srettha and the decisions made during his short-lived tenure as prime minister.
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