The anti-corruption watchdog will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to investigate Supoj Saplom for being unusually wealthy, following the arrest yesterday of a fifth suspect in the daring robbery of the transport official's home.
National Anti-Corruption Commission spokesman Klanarong Chanthik said a committee would be formed to probe the permanent secretary for transport's finances if the commissioners unanimously agree with the allegations.
Suspects arrested over the theft allegedly told police they took 200 million baht from Mr Supoj's home during the robbery earlier this month. The amount retrieved so far totals 12.7 million baht.
Mr Supoj insists the stolen money came from a wedding dowry for his daughter, but has declined to say how big the amount was.
Mr Klanarong said preliminary checks showed Mr Supoj had declared his assets 16 times since 2002, when he was a member of the Airport of Thailand's board of directors.
High-ranking government officials are required to declare their assets annually but unlike those of politicians, officials' assets declarations are not made public, said Mr Klanarong.
Mr Supoj refused to comment yesterday on reports that Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit had ordered him transferred to an inactive post pending an investigation into his wealth.
A fifth suspect in the burglary yesterday turned himself in to police along with 900,000 baht in cash. Somboon Riyathen, 40, who was wanted on an arrest warrant in connection with the burglary, surrendered at Chiang Rai's Mae Chan district.
Four other have been arrested, carrying with them 11.8 million baht.
The transport official alerted the police on Nov 12 that his house had been broken into about 9pm and 12 million baht was missing.
Mr Supoj was away at the time of the robbery and the thieves tied up three maids at the house in Lat Phrao Soi 64 in Bangkok's Wang Thonglang district.
Two of the suspects caught on Thursday said they made off with more than 200 million baht in cash. Police said the men also claimed that when they broke into Mr Supoj's house, they found between 700 million baht and one billion baht stashed away in bags. Police have not commented on the amount of money taken during the robbery.
The alleged burglars arrested on Thursday _ Singthong Jaichuenchom 44, and Saokaew Namwong, 59 _ were caught with 2.8 million baht cash.
On Friday, two more suspects were caught. They were identified yesterday as Wanankrit Butrkanha, 40, who was caught in Nakhon Phanom with nine million baht cash, and Boonsueb Jomjan, 44, who was nabbed in Phitsanulok.
The police are still hunting three other suspects, identified as Wirasak Chuelee, 36, Khamnuan Meknoi, 38, and Phongsak Namwong, 35.
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