Sudarat clarifies computer case

A former minister had forced state officials to testify against her and this minister’s audio clip of him persuading the officials was submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), she claimed. She was cleared by the Administrative Court’s ruling in 2010 that the computer cancellation was for the civil service’s benefit, she said. She would write a book about this case.
The NACC would decide tomorrow if Sudarat would be held responsible for alleged irregularities in the computer deal. The ruling was postponed from last week because Sudarat submitted new evidence. The Comptroller-General’s Department cancelled the bid on grounds that the bidders offered products that didn’t meet the specifications in terms of memory, speed and uninterruptible power supply, she said. The full budget was returned to the Finance Ministry with no damage to the state, she said.
After the 2006 coup, those in power claimed the project’s cancellation was illegal and asked the NACC to probe it.
Three groups of people – including a former senior official – gave false testimony to the NACC so the officials accused along with her in this case sued them on May 1, leading to a court sentencing this perjuring former official to two months in jail, she said.