Former education officials tied to corruption
Former education minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, a deputy minister and two senior education officials are accused of being involved in the purchase of overpriced school supplies, the Department of Special Investigation said yesterday.
Chinnaworn, former deputy minister Narissara Chawantanpipat, Jiang Wongsawassuriya of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec) and Bamrung Aramrueng, director of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College, are to report to the DSI on Thursday to acknowledge the negligence-of-duty charges, said DSI director Tharit Phengdit.
According to a DSI investigation, Chinnaworn appointed officials close to him to committees that handled the purchases of substandard school supplies at greatly inflated prices.
Items sold in one set at Bt1 million were purchased for Bt3 million with 19 sets sold to Ovec at Bt57 million – Bt38 million higher than the market price.
Substandard items bought through the Chinnaworn-appointed panels were supplied to two technical colleges, Tharit said.
Apart from the principal offence under Criminal Code Article 157, Tharit said the four officials had also violated regulations regarding bidding and purchases.
Former Ovec secretary-general Sasithara Pichaichannarong might be spared as a prosecution witness during a subsequent trial, after her cooperation in providing useful information, Tharit said. However, she still might face prosecution if the DSI detects any wrongdoing by her.
“The DSI is still probing the scandal to identify other people involved,” Tharit said.
Chinnaworn, now serving as a Democrat MP, said he was not worried about the DSI probe and was confident that Narissara would clarify the matter either publicly or to the DSI, because she supervised Ovec during the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva.
However, an unnamed member of the House of Representatives anti-corruption committee said Chinnaworn should not escape responsibility because he submitted the purchases to the Cabinet for approval.
