Vilas slams Somsak over appointment of officials
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Democrat MP Vilas Chanpitaksa yesterday alleged that a number of retired officials appointed by the House were receiving per diem allowances to sit on committees for which they did not qualify.
Also many committees had been given jobs that the House advisory board was already doing, he said. “I plan to petition the Comptroller-General’s Office and the Office of the Auditor-General to get these allowances returned,” he said.
Vilas slammed House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont for appointing retired officials from the House Secretariat to sit on a number of panels.
Somsak was not justified in naming retired House officials – such as Thaweekiat Chaowalit-tawill – as specialists on economic, social, political and legal affairs, Vilas said. He added that these officials had no prior experience and did not qualify to be paid Bt50,000 per month each.
Vilas said Somsak had formed many committees and subcommittees without legal sanction, thus squandering public funds on unnecessary allowances.
For example, Somsak named House secretary-general Suwichag Nakwatcharachai to sit on about 25 committees, paying him more than Bt100,000 in monthly allowances.
Somsak’s spokesman, Wattana Sengpairoh, is given Bt40,000 a week to convene the twice-weekly meetings of two subcommittees.
The Democrat MP said he had also received complaints that some House officials paid bribes in exchange for their positions. Vilas said he would ask the House committee on anti-corruption to look into the matter.
In his rebuttal, Wattana said Somsak had followed relevant procedures in forming panels and on the appointment of specialists.
The procedures had been enforced since 2003, he said, adding that four appointed specialists also had prior experience working with 35 House committees.
The four had gained expertise by serving committees in their respective fields.
Wattana denied the allegation that he received a Bt40,000 weekly allowance.
He said he attended meetings only once or twice a month and that his subcommittee members worked for the “greater good” – not for small allowances.
