Thousands of recently recruited local government officials in Thailand could lose their jobs as the authorities widen an investigation into a major civil service exam rigging scandal. According to CNA, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an expanded probe into the case.
Police and anti-corruption investigators say they found around 2,000 tampered examination papers during raids carried out in Nonthaburi last week. The discovery pointed to large-scale manipulation of the recruitment process.
The exams in question were used to recruit more than 6,000 entry-level local government officials in December. Investigators allege that candidates paid bribes in order to secure passing scores.
As the inquiry advanced, several civil servants were arrested. In addition, senior officials from the Department of Local Administration, which oversaw the recruitment process, were suspended pending the investigation.
Authorities said they are widening the probe to identify those behind the alleged corruption network. The Department of Local Administration falls under the interior ministry, which oversees local administrations across the country.
Officials indicated that affected results would be invalidated and that the related appointments would be revoked, a move that places the jobs of many of the recruited officials in doubt.
The case has grown into one of the more significant integrity scandals to hit Thailand's local government recruitment system, as investigators continue their work to determine the full scope of the alleged wrongdoing.