Graft probe leads to search of education official’s home

By Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai 
The Nation

 

 

Documents relating to embezzlement of scholarship fund for poor kids retrieved The Nation

 

THE BANGKOK home of Education Ministry official Rojana Sinthee was searched yesterday morning as part of an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of millions of baht from the Sema Pattana Chevit scholarship fund for underprivileged children.

 

 

Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) secretary-general Korntip Daroj led a search team to the C8-level official’s house in Don Muang district at 7am. 

A large number of documents from the fund were found in the house and also in her car, prompting suspicion that she might have planned to destroy them. 

 

More than 10 files were in the back of the car, along with two plastic bags filled with torn pages of fund documents.

 

 

Rojana earlier confessed to her supervisors that she had, over the course of 10 years, embezzled Bt88 million from the fund set up to help young people at risk of being lured into the sex trade. She faces a disciplinary probe that could result in her dismissal from civil service, possibly without a pension. 

 

Rojana allegedly transferred Bt18.8 million to other people’s bank accounts last year, which triggered the internal ministry probe that exposed the massive corruption. 

 

 

The ministry found that she had since 2008 siphoned off money from the fund’s annual budget of Bt10 million-Bt30 million and sent it to 22 bank accounts belonging to relatives and acquaintances, who then transferred it back to her. As assistant to the fund’s secretary, she allegedly falsified the names of recipients for scholarships. The ministry filed a police complaint against her for embezzlement and the case was passed on to the PACC. 

 

Yesterday search was conducted with a warrant from the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, Korntip said. 

 

He said investigators would scrutinise the documents and Rojana’s computer. If further suspects were implicated, a PACC subcommittee would take action. 

 

The subcommittee is mulling charges against Rojana including forgery, misappropriation of assets, and wrongful behaviour damaging to a state agency.

 

Education Ministry inspector-general Athapol Truktrong, chair of the fact-finding panel into the case, said that a retrospect probe from 2000, when the fund was established with the initial budget of Bt600 million, had found that an additional Bt30 million was unaccounted for. But the panel could not yet confirm if it were linked to corruption. As for the alleged irregularities linked to Rojana, the panel had summoned her three times to provide information but she had declined citing a health problem. 

 

She didn’t show up to testify to the panel yesterday as previously scheduled, he said.

 

The panel is focusing on document evidence as they could be linked to the culprit(s), while testimonies from people are only to confirm the information, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30341608

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-24

5 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

She faces a disciplinary probe that could result in her dismissal from civil service, possibly without a pension. 

Who cares about her civil service and/or pension?

 

She admitted to stealing huge amounts of money allocated to assist Thai underprivileged children. Why wouldn't she go to jail for Grand Theft Robbery? How is this different from robbing a bank?

 

Throw her in jail and let her rot. Then, find her (certainly 'higher-up') accomplices in the bureaucracy and do the same!

 

This is a crime. Treat it like one!

 

Edited March 24, 20188 yr by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

9 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

As for the alleged irregularities linked to Rojana, the panel had summoned her three times to provide information but she had declined citing a health problem. 

i think i need make friends, honestly or financially, with a thai doctor; they seem to play a curious role in the thai justice system

She is a bad woman and she not alone!

 

Jail!

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Who cares about her civil service and/or pension?

 

She admitted to stealing huge amounts of money allocated to assist Thai underprivileged children. Why wouldn't she go to jail for Grand Theft Robbery? How is this different from robbing a bank?

 

Throw her in jail and let her rot. Then, find her (certainly 'higher-up') accomplices in the bureaucracy and do the same!

 

This is a crime. Treat it like one!

 

Robbing a bank is loso and uncouth. Being in a prestigious position and stealing millions from poor, young and vulnerable girls is that prestigious person’s right. 

 

You’ll find that corrupt officials investigating this case will sadly have empathy for her. 

How does she even have the opportunity to touch this kind of money.  It sounds like millions of baht were brought to her house in a dump truck and the government just expected her to distribute it in good faith - no paper trail, no auditing, no financial oversight.

 

"Hi, here's millions of baht.  See that the poor kiddies get it, won't you?"

 

Good thing the bank reported the suspicious transfers or they might never have caught this.

 

 

Edited March 24, 20188 yr by attrayant

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Rojana allegedly transferred Bt18.8 million to other people’s bank accounts last year, which triggered the internal ministry probe that exposed the massive corruption.

And who might these "other people" be is the 18.8 million baht question? Is the search for the paper trail intended to nail her completely or to cover the tracks of other recipients. One can never be sure with all the civil service corruption going on at the moment. 

This will the same group as the NST gang in the two top schools there BRSS and TUSS.. Just need to nab those B$$$$$$ now

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Who cares about her civil service and/or pension?

 

She admitted to stealing huge amounts of money allocated to assist Thai underprivileged children. Why wouldn't she go to jail for Grand Theft Robbery? How is this different from robbing a bank?

 

Throw her in jail and let her rot. Then, find her (certainly 'higher-up') accomplices in the bureaucracy and do the same!

 

This is a crime. Treat it like one!

 

I am sure the junta PM is taking a serious view of these corruptions and will soon announce a civil service reform headed by Prawit. 

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

She faces a disciplinary probe that could result in her dismissal from civil service, possibly without a pension. 

I think she will not starve, or loose her membership in a golf club, because I wouldn't be surprised if she, as an expert in the field, invested the meager leftover of 69.2 million in shares of notorious venues in Nana, Soi Cowboy and Walking Street.

Edited March 24, 20188 yr by Lupatria

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

possibly without a pension

Gosh, that "really is" severe

12 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I am sure the junta PM is taking a serious view of these corruptions and will soon announce a civil service reform headed by Prawit. 

He  aint got the "time". for that...............oh  wait

Is she at the top of this or taking a fall for higher ups?

3 hours ago, Lupatria said:

I think she will not starve, or loose her membership in a golf club, because I wouldn't be surprised if she, as an expert in the field, invested the meager leftover of 69.2 million in shares of notorious venues in Nana, Soi Cowboy and Walking Street.

LOL what a laughable punishment.They should hang at Pension House for a few days. Where the big fish eat. Prawit can wear his favourite time piece 

The panel is focusing on document evidence as they could be linked to the culprit(s), while testimonies from people are only to confirm the information, he added.

 

i would hope the same rule applies to watches ?

Isn't it about 10 days ago (maybe more) that this story broke. And she has been out on bail since the early days.

 

But they only searched her home and car yesterday.

 

It's really hard to determine who is more stupid: the RTP for not searching immediately; or the suspect, for not destroying all the evidence while she had the opportunity.

 

Not sure if I'm reading this correctly but it sounds like she stole nearly 15ish % of the total fund. 88 million of 600 and another 30 million is missing. Seriously though when people cannot be punished for these types of crimes you gotta get dirty. Loads of smiles but no one seems to give a shiit. unless you sit on a statue.

She walks with a reduced pension....that will teach her...