Thailand's deputy PM Prawit bound to clarify possession of luxury watch, diamond ring in 30 days

BANGKOK, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is legally obliged to clarify his possession of a luxury watch and a diamond ring in 30 days, said a senior government official on Thursday.

Prawit, who concurrently acts as defense minister, is legally bound to make a clarification over his Richard Mille RM029 watch, said to cost an average of 2.6 million baht (about 77,000 U.S. dollars) and his diamond ring, according to Worawit Sukbun, deputy secretary general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The deputy premier was recently seen at the Government House sporting his luxury Swiss watch and diamond ring.

Worawit said he may clarify his possession of those luxury items either by sending a written statement to the NACC headquarters or visiting it to give a verbal testimony to the anti-graft agency's officials.

However, Prawit is legally obliged to do so within 30 days from Thursday in accordance with the law, the deputy NACC secretary general said.

The deputy premier declined to comment on the allegations launched against him by a political activist and told reporters he would only talk with the NACC about that.

Prawit has been accused of intentionally concealing some of his wealth and becoming "unusually rich" by Srisuwan Janya, leader of the so-called Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, who filed his allegations with the NACC on Thursday.

According to Srisuwan, Prawit had failed to declare his luxury watch when he filed a report on his personal assets and liabilities to the anti-graft agency three years ago.

Such failures might possibly signify his intention to conceal some of his wealth, the activist said. Enditem