The reinstatement of four provincial administrative organisation (PAO) chiefs who have been cleared of suspected graft is not politically motivated, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha issued a prime ministerial order to reinstate the four PAO chiefs who had been suspended since 2015 pending investigations into graft allegations against them.
The latest prime ministerial order reverses the suspensions previously ordered by Gen Prayut in his capacity as the chief of the National Council for Peace and Order.
The four PAO chiefs are Sathiraporn Naksuk of Yasothon, Malairak Thongpha of Mukdahan, Boonlert Buranupakorn of Chiang Mai and Chaimongkol Chairop of Sakon Nakhon.
They are the first group of suspended local officials to be reinstated after Gen Prayut issued orders under Section 44 of the 2014 interim charter to suspend or transfer to inactive posts state officials, including senior civil servants and elected local administrators, in May 2015, pending the results of investigations into allegations against them.
The suspension orders are meant to prevent officials from tampering with evidence during the probes.
Several government and local administrative officials are under suspicion following graft allegations made by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Auditor-General.
Gen Anupong said yesterday that investigations showed that the four are in the clear and, as their tenures have not yet expired, their reinstatement is justified and not politically motivated.
Critics have said the reinstatements could pave the way for them to influence local elections later this year, the results of which could have a bearing on the next general election expected in February 2019.
Addressing preparations for local elections, Gen Anupong said the Council of State, which is the government's legal advisory body, is drawing up six bills relating to local elections which are likely to be completed in August before being forwarded to the cabinet for consideration and then to the National Legislative Assembly.
Local elections will be held within 45 days of these bills coming into effect, he said.
Mr Chaimongkol said he was glad that his name has finally been cleared.
He said he had been suspended under the Section 44 order since July last year pending an investigation into claims of irregularities involving the procurement of road maintenance vehicles.
He said the new prime ministerial order has "brightened up" the climate of local politics.
