TUESDAY, March 19, 2024
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Graft fears over poor fund

Graft fears over poor fund

Further corruption cases expected as centres for destitute caught in scandal

THE ONGOING investigation in a controversial case ignited by a university student in northeastern Mahasarakham province has suggested a significant amount of state funds intended for destitute people could have been diverted into the hands of corrupt officials – rather than to the intended recipients – across the country. 
“At this point, reports from the ongoing investigations reveal irregularities in all provinces being fully probed,” Korntip Daroj, acting secretary-general of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), said yesterday. 

Graft fears over poor fund
PACC teams have already started investigating more than 20 provincial protection centres for destitute people after university student, Panida Yotpanya, blew the whistle about alleged irregularities at the Khon Kaen-based centre, where she was briefly a trainee. 
“By now, reports about 12 centres have already suggested that all the centres were allegedly involved in irregularities,” Korntip said. 
These 12 centres are in Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, Saraburi, Udon Thani, Surat Thani, Ayutthaya, Nan, Krabi, Trat and Trang provinces. 

Graft fears over poor fund
PACC teams have detected the same suspicious patterns at each of the centres. For example, they found staff had used fake or original documents identifying destitute people without their knowledge. Original documents were also submitted by people who never received payments or only received partial disbursements. 
“We also found that these centres used documents of people not qualified as destitute,” Korntip said. 
The ongoing investigation by the PACC is now focusing on the disbursement of state funds for destitute people in 2017. In that fiscal year, the government allocated Bt493 million to projects to help people in need. 
For example, projects offered Bt2,000 per year for destitute people, Bt2,000 for people living with HIV/Aids and Bt3,000 for people needing start-up funds for small-scale enterprises. 
“We will check disbursements in other years later,” Korntip said. 
He refused to confirm reports that top executives at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry had been implicated. 
Last week, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Puttipat Lertchaowasit, and deputy permanent secretary, Narong Kongkam, were transferred reportedly to ensure a transparent investigation into the disbursement of state funds. 
The transfer orders came shortly after the head of the Khon Kaen Protection Centre for the Destitute was transferred. 
“We are still in the process of investigating as to whether there were masterminds behind officials based at the centres and as to whether this is a wide-scale conspiracy,” Korntip said. 
He added that if his agency’s investigation implicated senior officials at C8 level or higher, complaints against those officials would be forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. 
Korntip said the Human Security and Social Development Ministry could launch a parallel probe against officials it suspected of wrongdoing. 
Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya, meanwhile, said Social Development and Human Security Minister General Anantaporn Kanjanarat had already proceeded with investigations against officials accused of wrongdoing.
“I have already instructed him to check other projects too,” he said. 
A source revealed that the Office of the Auditor-General had written to the then-minister of Social Development and Human Security, Pol General Adul Saengsingkeo, in the middle of last year to alert him about suspicious activity by a deputy director-general and the director-general of a ministry department in regards to the use of state funds. 
It is unclear whether that letter led to an investigation by the ministry. However, the PACC took action after Panida, a 22-year-old student at the Mahasarakham University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, petitioned relevant authorities. She reported first to her university and then to officials that she had been told to participate in fraudulent activities.
The university has honoured Panida and launched an investigation into a lecturer who reportedly criticised Panida for lodging the complaint about alleged irregularities. 
 

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