Anti-graft panel reviews allowances

The House anti-graft committee chaired by Viroj Pao-in of the ruling Pheu Thai Party considered inquiries by members of the panel over Somsak’s expenses and those of House secretary Suwichag Nakwatcharachai.

Members of the committee questioned the budget for House affairs, as there were many items considered unreasonable, such as expensive clocks.

Sunthorn Rakmeuang, director of the House’s Bureau of Finance and Budget, said some Bt14.9 million was spent on 238 clocks to be installed in parliamentary buildings. The price of the clocks was Bt40,000 each – not Bt70,000 – so it was widely misunderstood, she said. The Bt14-million budget covered the entire timing system, which is linked to a satellite, she said. 

The project was initiated during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration in 2004, when some MPs visited the US Congress and found clocks there were very precise. That trip inspired the House to get a similar system, she said.

Meanwhile, drinking-water coolers and heaters were installed by a firm at a reasonable price, she said, noting that she would submit details of procurement for this item later in written form, as she did not remember all details.

Sunthorn was grilled for three hours. She was asked by Democrat MP Vilas Chanpitaksa shortly before the end of the session about the allowance paid to people who attended various meetings in Parliament, particularly a panel set up by secretary Suwichag. 

Suwichag had ordered that Bt1,600 be paid to all members of the panel for every meeting and Bt1,200 for members of a subcommittee. 

There was no limit on how many meetings such panel members could attend each day. Sunthorn said this was not irregular, as it was in accordance with regulations. 

To their disappointment, MPs would only get Bt800 each for such meetings and the regulation limited them to two meetings a day. 

Committee chairman Viroj even noted: “Our request to have one more subcommittee was rejected, but he put his men on a higher per diem.”

Another Democrat MP, Teerachad Pongviroonrugs, said he would seriously look into whether the secretary had spent public funds for a personal purpose.