70 officials implicated in Bangkok building collusion scandal
Executives allegedly rigged bids to favour companies that won contracts
Approximately 70 government officials have been implicated in a collusion scandal involving the ill-fated State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok, as revealed by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
This group includes both former and current SAO executives, as well as members from 10 committees associated with the building’s design, construction, and inspection, according to statements made by DSI Deputy Secretary General Police Captain Surawoot Rungsai.
The construction site witnessed a tragic incident on March 28 when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, originating in Myanmar, caused the 2.1-billion-baht, 30-storey building to collapse. This was the sole high-rise in Bangkok to succumb to the quake, resulting in the deaths of 89 workers, with seven still missing.
Pol. Capt. Surawoot indicated that the executives in question are alleged to have manipulated the bidding process to benefit certain companies that eventually secured the contracts.
These contracts covered the building’s design, construction, and inspection phases. The bidding terms were reportedly altered to advantage a company within the PKW joint venture, which includes PN Synchronise, KP Consultants and Management, and W and Associates Consultants.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is tasked with determining whether the bidding process was intentionally rigged to ensure PKW’s success.
The DSI concluded its investigation on March 22 and has since forwarded its findings to the NACC. The NACC is the only body authorised to investigate misconduct allegations against the implicated officials.
Pol. Capt. Surawoot confirmed media reports that at least two people linked to the SAO had provided significant information to the investigators. When questioned about the involvement of the current Auditor-General, Monthien Charoenpol, Surawoot said, “All the names are in there.”
The DSI’s investigation included three raids on the PKW headquarters, resulting in the collection of 121 boxes of documents. Evidence suggests that construction inspections were not performed, a key factor in the collapse of the building, reported Bangkok Post.
In a related matter, the DSI submitted a case file to prosecutors last month regarding China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co Ltd, a contractor for the building, concerning the use of nominees.
This week, it was revealed that concerns about project irregularities date back to 2009 when the original design contract was under review. The NACC last year identified grounds for charges against former auditor-general Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka and others related to the project, and the agency has submitted its report to prosecutors.
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