OTEP head accused of abusing
The chief of the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP) has been accused of abusing his authority in relation to the construction project for a teacher-development centre in Chiang Mai province.
Kasem Kammungkun, president of the Club of Official Teachers and Education Personnel, and National Thai Teachers Union adviser Yiamyod Srimantra filed a complaint at the Crime Suppression Division yesterday against OTEP chief Somsak Tachai and others.
Yiamyod, a former OTEP member, said the commission had approved the construction of four teacher-development centres nationwide under a Bt2-billion budget.
The agency then signed a contract with a contractor in May 2011 to build a centre in Chiang Mai at a cost of Bt360 million. However, the contract was amended three times and construction at the site was never completed, he said.
On September 9, the contractor sued at the Administrative Court for contract cancellation and Bt79 million – plus 7.5-per-cent interest until full payment is made – in compensation from the OTEP, claiming the contract amendments as the reason for annulling the deal, he added.
