The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has returned the case involving “Big Joke” bribing NACC commissioners with gold to the police investigators for further proceedings, citing that the NACC Act does not grant the NACC authority to investigate corruption allegations against its own commissioners.
On 21 January 2026, Mr. Surapong Intarathaworn, Secretary-General of the NACC, announced that the Central Investigation Bureau had forwarded a complaint for the NACC to take action against Police General Surachate Hakparn, former Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, regarding giving assets to a state official to aid a legal matter. The NACC meeting resolved to return the complaint file to the investigators to proceed in accordance with the 2018 Anti-Corruption Act.
This case involves allegations against state officials who are not NACC commissioners committing criminal offenses, with claims that NACC commissioners committed corruption in office and others supported the offense by giving assets to the commissioners. According to Section 45 of the 2018 Anti-Corruption Act, at least one-fifth of the combined members of the House and Senate may file charges against commissioners accused of corruption in office by submitting the matter to the Parliament President to propose to the Supreme Court President to establish an independent inquiry committee under the 2017 Political Office Holders Criminal Procedure Act. However, Section 28(2) of the 2018 Anti-Corruption Act states that cases involving corruption allegations against state officials under the NACC’s jurisdiction must be investigated and adjudicated by the NACC. Since this case involves related offenses that must be handled together, it falls under Section 45 of the 2018 Anti-Corruption Act, requiring the Parliament President to consider proposing the matter to the Supreme Court President to appoint an independent inquiry committee. Therefore, the NACC meeting resolved to return the case to the investigators for further proceedings.