Plodprasob ties to firms probed: Isra
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Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadi has been questioned over a possible conflict of interest in relation to companies in which his wife, son and associates are shareholders, according to Isra News Agency.
The firms have won over Bt200 million worth of contracts as consultants to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry since 2003.
Plodprasob’s wife Tanya formerly owned 27.7 per cent of shares in Tesco Capital, which was registered on August 18, 2009. She also owned a 9.1-per-cent stake in Retech Energy Co Ltd, registered on November 15, 2004, and 15 per cent in Thai-German Energy Co Ltd, registered on February 23, 2009.
There are cross-shareholdings among the companies.
Tanya transferred the Retech and Tesco Capital shares to the couple’s eldest son, Pinsai, on July 1, 2011, before the election, the report said. The Thai-German Energy shares were transferred back-and-forth between Tesco Capital, Retech and ASFE Biogas GmbH in October, after Plodprasob took the science minister’s post.
To prevent conflict of interest, ministers and their spouses are prohibited from holding over 5 per cent of shares in a company.
Plodprasob is a former director-general of the Forestry Department. He was permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry from 2002 to 2004 and vice minister at the same ministry in 2005.
Atchara Wongsaengchan, a former secretary of Plodprasob when the latter was Forestry Department director-general, also owns shares in the three companies. She is now a director in the Marine and Coastal Resources Department.
From 2003 to April 2011, nine agencies within the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry hired Tesco as a consultant under 39 contracts worth Bt163.8 million. Four of the projects were under the Forestry and Marine and Coastal Resources departments.
