Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday hit back at the opposition over the granting of Thai citizenship to Chinese-born businessman and suspected crime boss Chaiyanat "Tuhao" Kornchayanant, saying it was the Yingluck Shinawatra government that endorsed his naturalisation.
Speaking during the last day of the general debate in parliament on Thursday, Gen Prayut said Mr Chaiyanat's naturalisation process took place in 2011 during Yingluck's administration.
When shady businesses operated by Chinese triads in the country were exposed, authorities launched probes leading to the arrest of suspects, including Mr Chaiyanat, Gen Prayut said.
"They [the shady businesses] have been ignored for a long time... This government never sells houses and offers citizenships to anyone," Gen Prayut said, referring to a police raid on several locations across Greater Bangkok on Nov 29, including a luxury housing project in the La Salle area of Samut Prakan.
A police probe found that many houses owned by a suspected nominee of the Chinese criminal syndicate tied to Mr Chaiyanat were developed by SET-listed developer SC Asset Corporation, which counts members of the Shinawatra family as its shareholders, a source said.
However, the opposition Pheu Thai Party and SC Asset denied having any links to the Chinese criminal syndicate, saying foes were trying to ruin their reputation.
Company shareholders also have nothing to do with the sale of houses to the crime syndicate, the firm said.
In response to graft accusations made against the government by the opposition during the debate, Gen Prayut said: "Several former cabinet ministers are now serving jail terms, and some fled the country to escape justice.
"But no cabinet ministers have ever been sent to jail since 2014 [when he first became prime minister after the coup]," he said.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda told parliament on Thursday that Mr Chaiyanat, who married former Pol Col Wanthanaree Kornchayanant, applied for Thai citizenship on Aug 3, 2011, at the police's Special Branch Bureau.
With a recommendation from the Interior Ministry's screening committee, Charupong Ruangsuwan, who was interior minister in the Yingluck government at the time, endorsed Mr Chaiyanat's naturalisation in 2013, he said.
An Interior Ministry announcement listing foreigners who were granted Thai citizenship, including Mr Chaiyanat, was then published in the Royal Gazette on Dec 3, 2014. It was signed by Gen Anupong, who succeeded Mr Charupong as interior minister.
Suttipong Juljarern, permanent secretary for the interior, previously said that Gen Anupong assumed the post of interior minister on Aug 30, 2014, after Mr Chaiyanat's naturalisation was endorsed by his predecessor.
Gen Anupong was bound by the law to sign the announcement only to conclude the process, Mr Suttiopong said.
Mr Charupong served as interior minister between Oct 28, 2012, and May 22, 2014.
