5,000 dishonest officials to lose jobs over exam scandal

Probe into rigging of civil service exam results widens

All key suspects in the civil service exam rigging scandal have been arrested, the officials who conspired with them will be charged and exam cheats will lose their jobs, senior officials said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, also interior minister, said the three key suspects in the rigging of results of local government entry examinations nationwide were in custody.

Police investigators continued to gather evidence and compile the full case against them. The truth would be revealed to the public, he said.

The prime minister's comments follow the arrest of Win Thanaphatcharaphokin, an adviser to the director of the Office of Promotion and Training at Kasetsart University; his younger sister, Sataporn Thanaphatcharaphokin; and Pichit Thangphrom, former director of the Strategy and Budget Division of Wichian Buri Municipality in Phetchabun province.

As interior minister, Mr Anutin supervises the Department of Local Administration, which is at the centre of the scandal.

Pol Lt Gen Nathasak Chaonasai, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said the three prime suspects arranged for 11 government officials to change the scores of dishonest exam sitters, at Mr Pichit's house in Nonthaburi province.

He said the 11 government officials will next week face the same three charges that were pressed against the prime suspects - illegal assembly, document forgery and putting false information into a computer system.

Detectives would find out who gave he exam-scores files to Mr Pichit.

Unsit Sampuntharat, permanent secretary for interior, said the investigation had found irregularities in the exam scores of about 5,000 new local government officials. They would probably lose their jobs.

He confirmed that everyone found involved in the rigging of the civil service exam would face legal action.