Chalerm's fabricated story a diversion to gov't failure: Sophon
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Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung has fabricated a story about kickbacks in order to divert attention away from the government's failure to control the floods and the Thaksin pardon controversy, former transport minister Sophon Saram said on Friday
“Chalerm staged a political drama in the House of Represenatives as a diversion from the raging controversy on pardon,” he said in reference to the push to rescue former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from his legal wrangling.
Sophon said he was consulting with his legal team to sue Chalerm for libel.
In the House question-and-answer session on Thursday, Chalerm said the stolen cash from the home of Transport permanent secretary Suphoth Sublom might be kickbacks linked to the construction of the extension of the mass rapid transit network, known as the Purple, Blue and Red Lines.
The bidding for the contract took place when Sophon was the political overseer under the Bhum Jai Thai Party’s quota.
Sophon urged the public not to draw a hasty conclusion. Police arrested suspects involved in breaking into Suphoth’s home and the law should be allowed to run its course so the facts would come out, he said.
He said he was the only minister who did not know any contractors. He denied any involvement in the alleged irregularities.
He said he had no direct involvement in the bidding for the mass rapid transit network. The Red Line bidding happened under the Surayud Chulanont government and the Red extension project has not been bidded yet, he said.
The construction of the Purple Line was financed by loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency which offered the most concessionary terms, he said.
Bhum Jai Thai spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said Chalerm had engineered the question-and-answer session into a smear campaign. Pheu Thai MP Pichet Chuamuangpan framed the question for Chalerm to answer.
