implicated in the resignation of Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula on 28 February 2007. The Bangkok Post reported that Pridiyathorn resigned in protest after a CNS member lobbied him to sell shares of IRPC (formerly known as Thai Petrochemical Industry) back to a former shareholder. The newspaper identified Saprang as the unnamed CNS member. Saprang's brother, Chienchuang, was a key financial advisor to Prachai Liaophairat, the estranged founder of TPI. Chienchuang's relations with the junta came under further public scrutiny when it was revealed that he was hired by the junta in order to lead a campaign to discredit deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Politicians hired as part of the CNS campaign included Chat Pattana party leader Korn Dabbaransi, Democrats Korn Chatikavanij, Alongkorn Palabutr and Korbsak Sabavasu, Prapat Panyachatraksa, a key Thai Rak Thai member who defected to the Chat Thai party, plus ex-senator Kraisak Choonhavan. Academics hired by the CNS included Wuttipong Piebjriya-wat, Sophon Supapong, Narong Phet-prasert, and Somkiat Osotspa. Mad dogs and machine guns Saprang was an extremely vocal critic of those who he perceived as his political opponents. In an interview with Thai Rath (Thailand's most popular newspaper) on 8 April 2007, he called an unspecified enemy a "mad dog" who he claimed was destroying the monarchy. He said that it was necessary to shoot the dog with a machine gun. In the same interview, he threatened violent response to the "bold words that came from the mouths of evil people who did not know restraint". He urged decisive action, so that the public would believe that good had triumphed over evil. Post-coup role Saprang was considered a strong contender to lead the junta given the mandatory retirement of Army commander-in-chief and CNS President Sonthi Boonyaratkalin in September 2007. He unofficially competed with fellow Assistant Army Commander Anupong Paochinda, who, as 1st Army Area Commander, secured Bangkok on the night of the coup. The Bangkok Post reported in October 2006 that Sonthi was grooming Anupong to be his successor by giving him responsibilities over coup logistics, a greater task than had been assigned to Saprang. The Asia Times quoted a former MP as saying that "Anupong is seen as the real force behind the coup. Saprang is more vocal, but he has no real base. The only way he could be seen as a promising leader is by pushing the country to the brink." In an interview, Saprang warned