Minister to intervene in Abac dispute

THE SERIOUS dispute in the management of Assumption University (Abac) has affected its operations, as well as its issuing of degrees. 

Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan is set to intervene in the row – he will reportedly meet with the Abac Council on October 13. 

As of yesterday, it remained unclear who has ultimate power in running Abac and in signing the degrees for its latest graduates. 

More than 3,000 Abac graduates are due to attend conferral ceremonies next month. 

Dr Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal has insisted he is now the acting president of Abac, while Bro Dr Bancha Saenghiran has insisted he has not yet stepped down. 

Sudhiporn has said Bancha has been suspended from duty since June. Bancha, however, has said he only stepped aside for a while to ease the intensity of the conflict and has properly assigned a vice president to carry out his duties temporarily – not Sudhiporn.

At a press conference yesterday, Sudhiporn said: “I would like to ask Bancha and his allies to comply with the Abac Council and a Civil Court order so as to reduce damage done to Abac and its reputation.”

Sudhiporn said the majority of Abac Council members were on his side. Among them are Brother Wisit Sriwichairat, Suthep Laohawattana and Asst Prof Dr Prasang Mongkonsiri.

“If you [Bancha] have done nothing wrong, please just wait for the results of the investigation. The process should take no longer than one month. If you have not committed any serious mistake, you will be able to return as the Abac president,” Sudhiporn said.

He convened the press conference yesterday apparently in response to the latest moves taken by Abac’s legal adviser and recent remarks by Abac Council member Weerasak Anusonthiwong.

On Wednesday, Weeraksak spoke in defence of Bancha and pointed out that Sudhiporn had lost his status as an Abac lecturer since July 31. 

Weerasak said the row between Sudhiporn and Bancha erupted over a flight-simulation lab project, which saw complaints of corruption as the project was being prepared. 

An investigation at the time found no ground to take any further action, Weerasak said, but Sudhiporn and some Abac Council members have insisted that Bancha should be dumped as Abac president. 

“Such suspension is not possible under [our] laws,” Weerasak said.

Sudhiporn, who claims he has been acting president of Abac for a few months, has set up another panel to investigate the alleged mistakes or wrongdoing by Bancha. 

An investigation is now ongoing to determine claims of dereliction of duty on the part of Bancha caused damage of hundreds of millions of baht. 

There are questions about Abac’s decision to grant loans. Doubts also remain as to why land plots seized by Abac over non-performing loans were sold to Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, former wife of Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2010.