Ruttapon revealed he has signed approval for Pongsawat to leave the civil service after she submitted her resignation as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice. He affirmed this was done in accordance with the legal framework following the completion of her 4-year term on 18 July 2026. He also confirmed it is unrelated to the stage 14 case that prohibits resignation, with details handled by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
At 09:10 on 13 July 2026 at Government House, Police Lieutenant General Ruttapon Naowarat, Minister of Justice, spoke about signing the approval for Mrs. Pongsawat Nilayothin’s resignation from her position as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice. He confirmed he had signed the approval and submitted it to the Office of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat for further processing.
When asked about criticism regarding why she was not transferred during the regular season but moved mid-term, Police Lieutenant General Ruttapon explained that Mrs. Pongsawat’s term as Permanent Secretary completes the required four years on 18 July 2026, so the process must proceed accordingly.
When questioned about previous statements that Mrs. Pongsawat was involved in a stage 14 case which might prevent her resignation, Police Lieutenant General Ruttapon denied this. He clarified that resignations of civil servants at all levels require a process where authorities review for any criminal cases, disciplinary penalties, debts, or qualifications affecting the ability to resign.
Regarding Mrs. Pongsawat’s issues related to stage 14 cases, Police Lieutenant General Ruttapon said this might involve permission for hospital stays at the Police Hospital or other matters. He was not certain since this involves multiple levels from prison commanders to the Director-General and Permanent Secretary. This matter is under the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The signing of the resignation approval is a routine procedure to verify whether such officials may resign, following normal civil service rules.