BANGKOK, June 1 – The government may appeal the Central Administrative Court’s verdict which reinstated Thawil Pliensri to the helm at the National Security Council (NSC).
The Prime Minister’s Permanent Secretary Office was assigned to thoroughly study the court’s decision in order to appeal.
A jubilant Thawil insisted that he wanted to return to head the NSC and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra could be charged with negligence of duty if she delays the reinstatement until his retirement on September 30 next year.
Mr Thawil was transferred from the NSC to become the prime minister’s adviser, a de facto inactive post, on September 7, 2011.
The Central Administrative Court ruled that Mr Thawil’s reinstatement was retroactive as of September 30, 2011 and instructed related agencies to urgently move him back to the NSC.
Mr Thawil expressed his appreciation to the court but said he was only half-delighted given that many fellow civil servants have been treated unfairly.
He added that n appeal can be launched in 30 days and it depends on the prime minister whether she would do so.
“If the prime minister decides against appealing, the case is finished and I will go back to work. I will not take any position other than NSC secretary general,” he said. “I am a professional civil servant. I work for the country, not a political party.”
Paradorn Patanatabut, the current NSC chief, said he would be willing to return the post to Mr Thawil if the procedure is in accordance with the law.
He said he was not concerned with the court’s verdict and would leave it to the government to pursue the issue. (MCOT online news)
