NACC finds proof of graft in MCOT deal
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A subcommittee of the national anti-graft agency has discovered that some people involved in a controversial deal between a TV production firm and state-run media enterprise MCOT, had committed wrongdoing causing the state to lose more than Bt130 million
Chief of the subcommittee, Pakdee Pothisiri, also member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), said yesterday that his panel would forward its investigation findings to the agency’s board of commissioners to make a final decision on the case.
However, he declined to identify the persons found to have committed wrongdoing, a report on the Isra News Agency website (www.isranews.org) said.
The graft-buster also refused to confirm whether his panel’s findings were similar to those of a fact-finding team set up by MCOT in 2007, which was led by former senator Pratin Santiprapop.
Pratin’s panel had concluded that 11 people – seven MCOT employees and four Raisom Co executives – as well as the firm itself should be held responsible for criminal, civil and disciplinary offences.
Raisom, which produces news-oriented and current-affairs shows for Channel 3, is majority-owned by media personality Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda – one of the four executives found to be responsible for the wrongdoing.
The panel had found that one MCOT employee who took care of Raisom’s advertisement time slot had accepted a bribe, as well as falsified and destroyed important documents. Another MCOT employee was accused of being an accomplice.
The case stems from a police complaint filed by MCOT in 2007, in which it accused its two employees of malfeasance in a revenue-sharing deal with Raisom that resulted in a loss of Bt138.79 million from advertisement revenue. Later that year, the police submitted its investigation report to the NACC.
Pakdee said his panel was preparing a report on its findings to be submitted to NACC commissioners for a final decision. When asked when the report would be submitted, he said: “It won’t be too long.” Pakdee is one of NACC’s nine commissioners.
