BANGKOK, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan survived wealth concealment charges as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruled in his favor on Thursday.
Members of the anti-graft agency voted five to three to dismiss the allegations that the deputy prime minister had hidden his assets or falsified claims of his possessions upon assuming cabinet posts in 2014, according to NACC secretary general Worawit Sukboon.
Prawit, who is also the defense minister, allegedly possessed 22 luxury watches and a dozen diamond and gold rings, and failed to report them to the NACC.
But most of the NACC members judged that Prawit was evidently found to have borrowed 21 out of the 22 luxury watches from a friend, while the rings were considered as inherited items given by his mother, according to Worawit.
Prawit earlier commented that he had not reported the luxury watches in the past four years because he never owned them and had only borrowed them from his friend, who, he said, had died.
NACC Chairman Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit took a sick leave during Thursday's ruling on Prawit's case.
