Graft suspected in fund for poor in the Northeast
An ongoing probe has detected irregularities in the disbursement of state funds intended for the Chiang Pin Self-Help Settlement community.
Located in Udon Thani and Nong Bua Lamphu provinces, the community covers 41,000 people.
“We have found suspicious items regarding how Bt7 million were spent on low-income earners and the destitute during the past fiscal year,” Office of Public Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) assistant secretary-general Wannop Somjintanakul said on Thursday.
He added that some people had never received financial assistance from the state but their names appeared as recipients of help.
“Some other people received financial help but in an amount less than what was stated in the budget report,” Wannop said.
He added that some fund recipients were not qualified as destitute.
The PACC investigation has expanded to cover the budget for self-settlement communities, after a university student notified authorities about irregularities at the Khon Kaen Protection Centre for the Destitute.