Tourism permanent secretary, three others transferred over procurement
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FOUR TOP OFFICIALS at the Tourism and Sports Ministry were moved to inactive posts on Friday by the junta over an alleged link to equipment purchases at inflated prices.
“The overpriced deal [judging from market prices] for the equipment has now caused damages of more than Bt3.2 billion, perhaps reaching Bt5 billion,” a ministry source said yesterday. The source said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) transferred the four officials to inactive posts.
They were Suwat Sithilaw, permanent secretary; Patanachart Kridiborworn, director-general of the Physical Education Department; Niwat Limsuknirun, deputy director-general of the Physical Education Department; and Anupap Kasornsuwan, director-general of the Tourism Department.
According to the NCPO’s statement, at least 20 other key officials from various ministries including Interior, Finance, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment have also been removed.
The source said the four officials had been under investigation since last year when the military took over the country’s administration. They had been suspected of setting high prices for procuring equipment and tools for the ministry’s tourism and sport offices across the country. Another representative of the Tourism Ministry said more officials were involved in the scandal and faced charges. They might be probed soon for making special deals with tourism and sport equipment suppliers to quote higher prices than the market.
The junta claims the Tourism Department marked up contracts from Bt300 million at market prices to Bt1.7 billion while the Physical Education Department quoted Bt1.5 billion, up from Bt500 million. Their losses total Bt3.2 billion.
“The National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Auditor-General’s Office are continuing to search for further corruption at the Tourism and Sports Ministry. They are speculating there is another loss of Bt1.8 billion,” the source said.
Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul on Sunday issued a media release saying the ministry had appointed an acting permanent secretary and acting directors-general of the Physical Education and Tourism departments.
“The sacked persons are under investigation by other authorities,” she said in the ministry’s statement.
All tourism work remains on track despite the corruption issues, she said.
