The arraignment of former Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdith in a false asset declaration case has been postponed by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to next month due to an incomplete indictment.
The hearing was rescheduled for Jan 19 to give Mr Tarit time to prepare his defence after the Supreme Court instructed the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to rework its indictment.
According to the Supreme Court, the NACC accused Mr Tarit of declaring false assets and debts to the commission but failed to describe in its lawsuit the accused's intent to hide his wealth.
Citing Section 26 of the new organic law on the court procedures in criminal cases against office holders, the court instructed the NACC to improve the lawsuit to give details about the accused's alleged offence.
A revised petition must be submitted to the court within 15 days, the court said before postponing the arraignment to Jan 19 to give Mr Tarit more time to prepare his legal battle.
The NACC filed the lawsuit against Mr Tarit on Aug 10 this year, accusing him of violating Section 119 of the anti-corruption law by deliberately falsifying his assets and liabilities declaration.
Mr Tarit submitted a written statement and plea to the Supreme Court on Nov 9. He was temporarily released on 500,000-baht bail and told not to travel overseas without the court's permission.
Mr Tarit's legal team said the former DSI chief had not intended to hide assets, noting that some of the bank accounts were not reported to the NACC because they were not active and had small amounts of money in them.
The anti-graft probe against Mr Tarit was launched after the May 2014 coup amid allegations that one of the ex-DSI chief's properties encroached on Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima.
The probe later found that the house belonged to Mr Tarit's wife, Wassamon, and that he had not declared the property to the NACC, as required by law. This raised concerns over Mr Tarit's unusual wealth and triggered an investigation.
According to the NACC's findings, Mr Tarit amassed unexplained wealth of 346.65 million baht while at the DSI.
During the investigation the agency ordered a freeze of the alleged ill-gotten assets worth 90 million baht while the remaining assets worth 256 million baht were believed to have been transferred to others or concealed.
The Office of the Attorney General subsequently filed a lawsuit with the Civil Court seeking to confiscate the frozen assets worth 90 million baht.
Mr Tarit's frozen assets included money in six bank accounts, a two-rai plot in Manorom district of Chai Nat and valuables kept in a safety deposit box at a bank.
Ms Wassamon's frozen assets included the Khao Yai property, seven bank accounts, land plots in Pathum Thani's Muang district and Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, a two-storey house and five buildings in tambon Nong Nam Daeng of Pak Chong district, and two vehicles.
Mr Tarit was transferred to the Prime Minister's Office shortly after the coup in May 2014. In June that year he was made a PM's Office adviser.
He was dismissed from the civil service in April this year upon the NACC's recommendation.
