Speaking to reporters outside the Criminal Court yesterday (July 16), Mr Rungruang said he had filed two separate criminal complaints.
One complaint targets the person who accused him of demanding B1 million to facilitate a land matter in Cherng Talay, while the second accuses Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) Director-General Narucha Khosasilvilai of abusing his authority for political purposes by sharing the controversial ‘Help the Blue’ campaign message ahead of the national election in February.
The appearance marked Mr Rungruang’s first detailed public response since his arrest late last month.
He told reporters that the sequence of events leading to his suspension from office happened with unusual speed.
According to Mr Rungruang, after returning to Phuket on June 24 following a temporary transfer to DOPA headquarters, a complaint was filed against him the same day. An arrest warrant followed on June 26 and he was suspended from duty on June 27.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to answer or provide the facts to the media,” he said. “I had absolutely no involvement whatsoever in the entire local government corruption investigation.”
He said he had never met, spoken to or had any contact with the three people arrested in the recruitment examination case or the five government officials also under investigation.
Addressing the separate allegation that he solicited a B1 million payment from a businessman over disputed land in Cherng Talay, Mr Rungruang rejected the accusation outright.
“I would never dare to solicit bribes from a billionaire,” he said, declining to identify the individual concerned. “He is a highly respected figure in society, and I would never accept any benefits from him.”
Mr Rungruang said he had already assembled evidence which he believes proves he played no role in the recruitment examination scandal.
He also disputed the manner in which authorities handled the investigation, arguing that disciplinary action was taken before investigators had properly established the facts.
“My lawyer has already filed a lawsuit against them in the Anti-Corruption Court regarding this dismissal order,” he said.
Mr Rungruang repeatedly questioned why his case had progressed far more rapidly than other corruption investigations involving government officials.
He claimed that while he was immediately removed from office despite denying any wrongdoing, other civil servants facing investigations involving alleged damages of several billion baht had remained in their positions.
He lambasted the “special treatment” as a clear example of “double standards”.
LEGAL ACTION
Mr Rungruang’s lawyer, Narin Somnuk, confirmed that several legal proceedings are now under way.
He said the defence had filed a case before the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct concerning the allegation that Mr Rungruang solicited a B1 million bribe, maintaining that no money had ever been demanded.
Mr Narin said provincial officials involved in investigating the disputed land matter would be called to testify.
He also confirmed that a separate case had been filed against DOPA Director-General Narucha Khosasilvilai concerning the "Help the Blue" issue, which the lawyer described as an unlawful exercise of authority.
In addition, Mr Rungruang has lodged a countersuit against those who originally accused him of demanding the alleged bribe. The court has assigned the case number and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct 26.