Official who signed water-scheme loans could face lawsuit, NACC warns
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An official who endorsed loan contracts related to the Bt350-billion water-management scheme could face a lawsuit for causing incurred interest, as the scheme may take some time to get off the ground, National Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Methee Kr
His remark follows Finance Ministry deputy permanent secretary Pongpanu Sawetrun’s comment that he had endorsed Bt324-billion in loan contracts with four banks as part of the huge water-management project.
But Methee noted that once the loan contracts were signed, interest would be incurred.
“If this is the case, the person who endorsed the loan contract could be sued for causing damage. We will have to look into the terms of the loan. If the terms said interest is not yet levied, then there should not be any problem,’’ he said.
Methee said while government can appeal a ruling by the Central Administrative Court that it must conduct environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and health impact assessments (HIAs), if the Supreme Administrative Court rules in support of the lower court the government must halt the project. So, the problem would compound.
He suggested the government conduct EIA and HIA reports, which take not more than three months to complete, by hiring National Institute of Development Administration lecturers – because the institute is a seen as a neutral body and the cost of hiring NIDA would be 20-per-cent less than hiring a private firm. The latter may also be seen as keen to collude with the state to provide positive reports.
The Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA), which brought the case to the court, will lodge a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission today to take action against Pongpanu and Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong over the Bt350-billion water-management scheme.
SGWA president Srisuwan Janya said both officials may have violated Article 157 of the Criminal Code and committed malfeasance because Pongpanu had cited that he was authorised by Kittiratt to endorse loans with four banks worth Bt324 billion after the Central Administrative Court ordered the government to conduct EIA and HIA studies of the water-management scheme before signing contracts with bid winners.
He said he would ask the NACC to investigate if both also violated Articles 57, 67, 250 and 275 of the Constitution.
Last week, the association filed a petition with the NACC against Yingluck and PM’s Office Ministry permanent secretary Tongthong Chandrangsu, saying they had violated the Constitution in their implementation of the water mega-project.
