'Good governance' and the stink of corruption
The Supreme Administrative Court has ordered the pollution Control Department (PCD) to pay Bt9 billion to NPVSKG, which built the corruption-plagued Klong Dan wastewater treatment project.
The now-scrapped Klong Dan project included the sale of land to the department at an inflated price, for which 10 employees of contractor companies were found guilty of corruption. Moreover, former minister Vatana Asavahame was sentenced by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to 10 years in jail for bribing officials to obtain the land.
However, like other politicians and officials found guilty of corruption, Vatana has fled to a safe haven abroad. Thai jails, it seems, are only for the poor. Meanwhile all Thai citizens have to foot the bill.
Like the Bt80-billion Hopewell elevated-railway project, Klong Dan has been abandoned and left as a testament of shame for Thais.
This was another classic case of corrupt dealings between politics and business, involving trickery at every stage. Once again politicians have boasted of “good governance” while cheating the country and taxpayers. They have no shame, no social responsibility and no conscience.
Rattanapol San-ai
Chiang Mai
