The Speaker of the House clarified the progress of the Sak Siam stock concealment case, revealing that external individuals have been appointed as committee members. He affirmed that this is not a 'phantom committee' and denied any intention to delay.
On 18 August 2026, Mr. Sophon Sarum, Speaker of the House of Representatives, spoke about the progress of the opposition and Senate's petition to the Supreme Court to establish an independent investigative committee to review the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) handling of the dismissal of the stock concealment case against Mr. Sak Siam Chidchob, former Minister of Transport.
Mr. Sophon revealed that the committee to review this petition has now been established, including external members. He said that once the review is complete, a public announcement will be made. When asked about the external members' names, he explained that when requesting experts to assist, no one wanted to take on the burden, so it was agreed that the members would work independently and remain anonymous until the report is finalized. He confirmed this is definitely not a 'phantom committee.'
Regarding whether the review will finish by the end of August, Mr. Sophon said it depends on the committee, as they work independently. When recruiting, he requested that they act with thoroughness and care, considering the distinguished backgrounds of the members, who are former judges and police officers. He persevered until the committee was fully formed.
Responding to accusations of delay, the Speaker denied such claims, saying, 'How could we delay?' He added he did not wish to engage in such disputes and that whether others think there is a delay is irrelevant. He urged people to use their minds to address the country’s current problems and not to become fixated on this issue. This does not mean the case is unimportant, but it should not be the sole topic discussed every day.