Briefs

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) will today submit to the Cabinet two options for solving a looming interconnection problem affecting two urban-rail lines in Bangkok.

If unsolved, the problem would prevent trains connecting between the Purple Line’s Tao Pun and Blue Line’s Bang Sue stations when the Bang Yai-Tao Pun route opens on August 6.

The first option calls for the government to negotiate an extension of the existing concession for the Hua Lampong-Bang Sue route by one more station to cover Tao Pun.

The second option would involve the concessionaire of the Blue Line running the train service between Tao Pun and Bang Sue stations prior to the opening of the Blue Line.

The government is expected to select the operator of the Blue Line’s extended route this month.

 

Telenor finds possible misconduct 

Norwegian telecom firm Telenor has uncovered two separate cases of possible misconduct at its Thai company Total Access Communication (DTAC). It also found possible misconduct in one of its other companies in another country, which it did not name at the request of local authorities as a police investigation is under way.

“One case involves suspicions of financial crimes and has been reported to the local police. Due to the investigation, Telenor has been asked by local authorities to not comment any further on the case at this point,” Telenor said.

“The other case is from Thailand, where DTAC’s internal audit uncovered deviations from the company’s guidelines relating to some site lease agreements.”

Telenor will review those agreements and finalise its work by year-end, it said. The chief financial officer and legal director of Telenor have resigned after a report by auditing firm Deloitte found weaknesses in the company’s handling of corruption allegations at Amsterdam-based Vimpelcom. 

Vimpelcom, of which Telenor owns 33 per cent, said in February that it would pay US$795 million (Bt27.7 billion) to resolve US and Dutch probes into a bribery scheme in Uzbekistan, in the second-largest global anti-corruption settlement in history.

In November, Telenor said it had hired Deloitte to review the handling of its ownership in Vimpelcom, and announced a week later that it had suspended CFO Richard Aa and chief legal officer Paal Wien Espen for the duration of the probe.

Telenor said on Friday that the report did not find that any Telenor employees had been involved in corrupt actions or any other legal offences but it uncovered internal weaknesses in the company.

The report “gives Telenor partial credit for its handling of the ownership in Vimpelcom, but also points to weaknesses in organisational structure, communication and leadership in this matter. This is serious,” Telenor chairwoman Gunn Waersted said in a statement.

Telenor said a central part of the report related to its handling of a “serious matter” in 2011, from an employee seconded to Vimpelcom. The person raised concerns of potential corruption with executives in Telenor and to Telenor-nominated board members in Vimpelcom, it said. – Reuters