Controversial TAO at it again with expensive plan, graft watchdog says
The Racha Thewa Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) in Samut Prakan province is once again in the eye of a storm over another controversial purchase.
The TAO on Thursday invited electronic bids for the procurement of 720 solar-powered street lamps, with the median price set at around 68.27 million baht, or 94,821 baht apiece.
The bidding specification requires that each of the street lamps must be topped with a sculpture of Kinnari, the mythical half-bird, half-woman.
The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) estimated that since 2013, the Racha Thewa TAO’s Kinnari lampposts have cost almost 1 billion baht.
On Thursday, the group reported on its Facebook page “Watchdog ACT” that the results of Racha Thewa TAO’s e-bidding for the new set of Kinnari lampposts would be unveiled on March 11.
“Again, they make another purchase. We must closely watch this new purchase project,” the Watchdog ACT wrote in its Facebook post.
Last year, the Racha Thewa TAO was accused of overpaying for the purchase of 6,773 solar-powered Kinnari poles — costing 642.6 million baht, or 94,884 baht each — between 2019 and 2021.
The controversial purchase came under the scrutiny of the National Anti-Corruption Commission although the Racha Thewa TAO’s executives denied any irregularities or deviation from regulations.
Only one company was involved in the procurement and installation of those decorative poles along the streets in many areas under the TAO’s jurisdiction.