Audit casts shadow over propriety of BMA light project
THE STREET-ILLUMINATION display that has landed Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra in hot water can be traced back to early last year and was mired in irregularities, according to information released by the Auditor-General’s Office.
According to the information, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on January 19 of last year requested a Bt30-million budget from the Bangkok Metropolitan Council to stage a light show, but it was turned down.
Despite that, in the middle of the year, Sukhumbhand revealed a policy to sponsor a spectacular light show to promote tourism in the city.
Around the same time, representatives of Jipatha Idea Co and Curio Tour and Travel Co separately headed to the Business Development Department to expand the scope of their business to the sale of decorative lights.
On October 20, Pranee Sattayaprakob, head of the BMA’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, sought the approval of the BMA for the Bt40-million light-show project proposed by Tawatchai Jan-ngarm, the tourism director at her department.
On November 9, Yossak Kongmak, director of the BMA’s Budget Department, submitted a request for Bt40 million from the emergency budget to implement the project. Deputy Bangkok Governor Jumpol Sumpaopol, acting for the governor, gave the green light on the same day. However, the move was unusual, since the emergency fund should have been reserved only for extreme events such as floods.
On November 10, Tawatchai invited in writing three firms, including Jipatha Idea, and Curio Tour and Travel to quote for the project.
Two days later, he set up a committee to prepare the project’s terms of reference.
On November 26, he opened bidding for the project. Nine firms took out bidding documents that day and were told to return the completed documents by December 8.
The submission of bids was set for December 22.
However, on December 2, Tawatchai reportedly announced that the quotations must be submitted by December 17.
No evidence has been found that all of the prospective bidders were informed of this change in schedule.
By December 8, just two firms, which included Curio Tour and Travel, submitted the documents to prove they were qualified to join the bidding. On December 10, Curio Tour and Travel imported a full set of LED bulbs from China – a week before the winner was declared.
Curio Tour and Travel secured the project by offering a price of Bt39.5 million.
On December 22, Sukhumbhand announced that the BMA would stage the “Bangkok Light of Happiness” show, which immediately drew public criticism and complaints.
Auditors started investigating the project even before it was staged.
The successful bidder has not been paid yet because no official will agree to sign off on the firm’s work amid the scandal. High-level executives of the BMA, including Sukhumbhand, might have abused their authority to favour the successful bidder, which, according to available information, had zero experience in decorative-light installation.
Sukhumbhand has maintained all along that the project was carried out in response to a “proper policy”.
He has explained that the project filled the BMA’s need to stimulate tourism in the capital. “Please read all documents in detail when carrying out the probe,” he has said.
Points of doubt
HERE ARE the “suspicious points” outlined by the Auditor-General's Office in relation to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s “Bangkok Light of Happiness” project:
Emergency budget used;
Collusion on bidding price suspected;
Bidding firms were registered in order to meet terms of reference;
Bidders had no experience in light-display technology;
Bid winner had prepared all the equipment and materials even before the result was announced.
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