Suthep dismisses cabinet reshuffle rumors

Following a spate of rumors in the media, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban announced on Friday that the government was definitely not planning a cabinet reshuffle.

The coalition government is “strong and unified”, The Nation newspaper quoted Suthep as saying.

However, Suthep admitted that there had been attempts to drive a wedge between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan. Suthep ruled out any possibility that Gen Prawit may be replaced with Gen Saprang Kallayanamitr, which was the source of one rumor in the media.

The reshuffle speculation emerged after the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) issued its findings against outgoing National Police Chief Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, who is Gen Prawit’s younger brother.

On Monday, the NACC announced that Pol Gen Patcharawat had been found guilty of criminal offences under Article 157 of the Criminal Code and a serious breach of discipline for not giving an order to end police action after two protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were killed in a police crackdown on the morning of October 7, 2008. Nearly 500 people were injured during the clashes, according to a Xinhua News Agency report. – Xinhua, Agencies.