Deputy Minister’s son-in-law nabbed for extorting contractor as water supply scandal makes waves

Officers from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) arrested the mayor of Doo sub-district and the Deputy Interior Minister’s son-in-law on charges of extorting 600,000 baht from a water supply contractor. Bail was set at 400,000 baht yesterday.

The contractor told the PACC that his company had put forward two tenders for two supply system projects in Taluk Doo and Haad Tanong sub-districts.

According to the contractor, Mayor Weeracharn Ratsamee stated that he would guarantee the contractor’s success in securing these projects if he paid him 500,000 baht for each project. The contractor pretended to agree to the offer and negotiated to 300,000 baht per project. The contractor then reported this extortion to the PACC.

PACC officials gathered evidence and arrested Weeracharn yesterday, October 24. This operation also led to the apprehension of four other suspects involved in the web of corruption, including two government officials and two residents.

They were identified as 23 year old Taluk Doo Sub-district Secretary Thanaphat Dunlayatikarn, 47 year old Kunthat Samakkee, 51 year old Manop Tittimanop and 30 year old Yingyong Kachaharn. All of them denied the accusation.

Channel 3 reported today that all five suspects were released on bail for 400,000 baht each. Their release appears to be grounded in the notion that they did not pose an escaping risk.

Contractor charged

PACC officials added that they would continue to investigate to see if more people are involved in the corruption scheme. So far, only one contractor has been charged in the case. Investigating officers urged others who had been victims of corruption to come forward and provide more information to the police.

PACC superintendent Jaroonkiat Parnkaew told ThaiRath yesterday that he had spoken to Weeracharn’s father-in-law, Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiseth, after his son-in-law’s arrest.

Jaroonkiat insisted that Chada had not asked for anything special and agreed to let the police handle the charges and punishment according to the law.

Recently, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered Chada to clean up corruption in local government offices and control influential people in each area. Chada promised to do this.

Chada said that he had once been an influential and powerful person, adding that he had never done anything illegal.

“My name was once on a list of powerful people but no one is bigger than the prison door. I was accused but I managed to prove that I did not do anything illegal. I am no longer a powerful person. I am a minister. I still have some power but in a good way, that can help improve Thailand.

According to the report on PPTV HD, Chada faced several challenges before entering politics. He was accused of hiring a hitman to assassinate a Thai Rak Thai Party member in 2003. In 2012, he managed to escape a shooting incident, and in 2017 his house was raided for possession of war weapons.

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