Committee Confirms Local Exam Files Were Altered
A House anti-corruption committee confirmed that exam data held by the Department of Local Administration were altered, exposing a scheme where candidates paid up to 500,000 baht to have their names removed from a disqualification list.
A House anti-corruption committee confirmed on July 16 that flash drives holding exam candidate data kept by the Department of Local Administration were altered, revealing a corruption scheme in which people paid 300,000–500,000 baht to have their names struck from a list of 5,814 disqualified local officials. Committee chair Asapol Sannitrirup explained that Srinakharinwirot University held one flash drive with authentic passing candidate records submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, while the department's flash drive—stored in the director's office safe—showed manipulation, with candidate scores failing to match answer sheet documents. The committee identified a security gap, noting that only the director, deputy director, and four staff members had access to the safe, and that no password was required to plug in the drive and access data. Asapol warned people listed among the 5,814 disqualified candidates not to pay bribes to remove their names, as the committee already possesses complete records. Next week's meeting will summon the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Central Investigation Police Bureau to clarify findings, with possible testimony from the four involved department officials.
