State officials ‘embezzled’ children’s fund

[webfact]

State officials ‘embezzled’ children’s fund

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

AN INTERNAL probe has found that at least three state officials were suspiciously among recipients of money from the Education Ministry’s fund for underprivileged children.

 

Two of them are officials under other government agencies, while one is a C8-level education official based in the Northeast.

 

The Education Fund for Life Development, which was established with a budget of Bt600 million, has reportedly lost about Bt118 million to corruption. 

 

The link between the three officials and Rojana Sintee – who has confessed to embezzling money from the fund – remains unclear. Rojana, also a C8-level official at the time the scandal broke, has already been dismissed from service. 

 

 

“I talked to Rojana last week. Her information, so far, has not matched what we have found,” said Athapol Truektrong, the Education Ministry’s inspector-general who is heading the ministry’s probe into the alleged corruption. He said Rojana claimed she had acted alone and started embezzling funds in 2012.

 

“But our ongoing probe has found that embezzlement began in 2004,” Athapol said. 

 

Rojana also failed to turn up to provide testimony directly to Athapol’s committee yesterday. 

 

“We won’t summon her again. Even without her testimony we can conduct the probe,” he said. He added that the probe was more than 90 per cent complete. 

 

Athapol said many retired officials had answered his committee’s summons and most had testified. 

 

“We asked them how they disbursed the funds and most said they just approved disbursements based on documents prepared by relevant teams. So, at this point, we have yet to determine whether they had colluded with Rojana,” he said. 

 

An informed source said one of the summoned officials had been involved in another corruption case. 

 

“This retiree is facing a separate probe for an alleged grave disciplinary offence, as he is believed to have stolen about Bt4.8 million from the state budget. He returned the money after his action was exposed,” the source said. 

 

The same source said stock trading documents were found in Rojana’s room, raising speculations that she might have funnelled some money into stocks. 

 

Meanwhile, the Bangkok education committee yesterday failed to convene a meeting due to lack of quorum.

 

As a result, the widely speculated dismissal of Samsenwittayalai School’s director, Wiroj Samruan, did not take place. 

 

A probe has already concluded that Wiroj committed a grave disciplinary offence by receiving Bt400,000 in tea money from a parent in exchange for offering a seat at his school for the parent’s child. The conclusion means Wiroj will be dismissed from service, with or without a pension. 

 

The dismissal must come from a resolution approved by the Bangkok education committee that failed to meet yesterday.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342566

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-06

[Samui Bodoh]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

“This retiree is facing a separate probe for an alleged grave disciplinary offence, as he is believed to have stolen about Bt4.8 million from the state budget. He returned the money after his action was exposed,” the source said. 

This is what is so very, very wrong in Thailand.

 

If I were to rob a corner store, I would (rightly) be arrested and likely sentenced to jail for the crime of theft. However, if I were a State Employee and I stole the exact same amount of money, I could simply return it and that would be the end of the matter (if it even went that far).

 

Respectfully Thailand, you have this backasswards! A State employee receives many guarantees including a job for life, medical care at a superior level to the general populace and a pension, among other perks. In return for this generous employment package, there is a granting of 'trust' for State employees, and when they break that trust they should be dealt with more harshly rather than more leniently. 

 

The second matter in this story is the Ministry of Education in general. As the article notes, there are already several cases of theft and embezzlement at the Ministry and I strongly suspect that if investigations continue, there will be many, many more. This lack of honesty and management, combined with the proven lack of ability in delivering a quality education to the children of Thailand, has reached a point whereby one has to wonder if the current leadership of the Ministry at both national and provincial level are able to reform it.

 

I would argue that they are not able to reform it.

 

I loathe Article 44, but in this case I would use it to fire the top 50 people at the national ministry offices and the top ten people at all the provincial offices immediately. Simply put they have already demonstrated that they are unable to run the ministry effectively and achieve proper outcomes, so out the door they go. Then, I would follow up on reforming the entire Ministry and I would use a chainsaw to do it.

 

The lack of a proper education system in Thailand is a clear and present danger to the future of the country and should be treated as such.

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

AN INTERNAL probe has found that at least three state officials were suspiciously among recipients of money from the Education Ministry’s fund for underprivileged children.

how blatantly stupid of them

[leeneeds]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

An informed source said one of the summoned officials had been involved in another corruption case. 

Got away with  it once !

why not twice!!

 

[PatOngo]

You can't go any lower than stealing from children and the impoverished. Shame, shame shame!!!

[Chris Lawrence]

One or two sacrificial lambs. The end.

[meatboy]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This is what is so very, very wrong in Thailand.

 

If I were to rob a corner store, I would (rightly) be arrested and likely sentenced to jail for the crime of theft. However, if I were a State Employee and I stole the exact same amount of money, I could simply return it and that would be the end of the matter (if it even went that far).

 

Respectfully Thailand, you have this backasswards! A State employee receives many guarantees including a job for life, medical care at a superior level to the general populace and a pension, among other perks. In return for this generous employment package, there is a granting of 'trust' for State employees, and when they break that trust they should be dealt with more harshly rather than more leniently. 

 

The second matter in this story is the Ministry of Education in general. As the article notes, there are already several cases of theft and embezzlement at the Ministry and I strongly suspect that if investigations continue, there will be many, many more. This lack of honesty and management, combined with the proven lack of ability in delivering a quality education to the children of Thailand, has reached a point whereby one has to wonder if the current leadership of the Ministry at both national and provincial level are able to reform it.

 

I would argue that they are not able to reform it.

 

I loathe Article 44, but in this case I would use it to fire the top 50 people at the national ministry offices and the top ten people at all the provincial offices immediately. Simply put they have already demonstrated that they are unable to run the ministry effectively and achieve proper outcomes, so out the door they go. Then, I would follow up on reforming the entire Ministry and I would use a chainsaw to do it.

 

The lack of a proper education system in Thailand is a clear and present danger to the future of the country and should be treated as such.

never a more true'r word spoken,why oh why are they not LOCKED UP ON REMAND.

this is not chicken feed but a great deal of money.

every evening I see the notice THAILAND MOVES FORWARD is that to the next amount of budget money within their grasp.unless Thailand gets a government that is prepared to put, THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS,

it can only get WORSE.and that is an understatement.

[Lungstib]

In 1932 an effort was made to get a fairer more equal bureaucratic system.. If you read the statement they made at the time, announcement of the peoples party no.1, it appears that the present system has just replaced the old one with no apparent changes at all. Quite simply the state officials look to have immunity against prosecution and serious punishment. 85 years of ensuring nothing changes.

[JOC]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The dismissal must come from a resolution approved by the Bangkok education committee that failed to meet yesterday.

For crying out loud.....

Probably because the committee members all have had their sticky fingers in the cookie jar.....

Stealing is a criminal matter...a case for the police....Arrest the perpetrators and let them await trail in prison...!!

[Sonhia]

Disgraceful low life scum.

 

It is only ever about money in Thailand.

 

They even cheat innocent children, their own kind, let alone foreigners.

 

 

 

[mok199]

THAILANDS  antiquated system with huge numbers of staff and management then upper management,with so many provinces and deparments  ,makes these corrupt practices  easier to hide, with each person having a specific job and refusing to do more than that specific duty.this only adds to the number needed to do any given task ,much easier to hide and even bury the trail of corruption..get lean efficient and transparent...time to downsize...

Edited April 6, 2018 by mok199
speliing

[jerojero]

He returned the money. How generous of him. Solid upstanding citizen.

[meatboy]

to describe what is happening this has got to be the pun of the week,thailand is virtually going TO THE DOGS.

[timewilltell]

And all these Government Officers demand respect from the public who are paying them to cheat and embezzle and encouraged to say nothing when exposed in case it makes the country look like it really is - welcome to Thailand

[PatOngo]

22 hours ago, JOC said:

For crying out loud.....

Probably because the committee members all have had their sticky fingers in the cookie jar.....

Stealing is a criminal matter...a case for the police....Arrest the perpetrators and let them await trail in prison...!!

I have a sneaking suspicion they may be tarred with the same brush.

[james.d]

42 minutes ago, timewilltell said:

And all these Government Officers demand respect from the public who are paying them to cheat and embezzle and encouraged to say nothing when exposed in case it makes the country look like it really is - welcome to Thailand

Well said.

 

IMHO, I would like to see all these ribbons/pins/etc removed from their uniforms for a start. 

Let them strut around just in the cream shirt and trousers and not have them expecting all to bend as they pass.

 

And to the honest officials,, tough (deleted), blame your thieving and low-life colleagues.

[Anak Nakal]

Steal money for children = go to hell!

[Lupatria]

Meanwhile the man who pops up in the news like corn in a hot pot, making comments to all unimportant issues, keeps mum. He is probably Nero like fiddling in his palace, composing a musical, or writing a script for a nationalistic soap opera. 

[Cake Monster]

What a load of low life scumbags

[the guest]

Jail time is the only recourse for such a criminal act. If the country wants to be looked upon by the international arena as not children-like, then they would immediately press criminal charges.

 

The country has a chance to change their ways, which are certainly NOT compatible with the civilized world.

[Lucky mike]

Will never stop until penalties are commensurate with crime and enforcement of same...

[Jeremy50]

Well, of course, this bunch would embezzle their own grandmothers if they could find a way. The Ministry of Education is a depressing dump, that any teacher dreads having to go near, and where you will have papers processed slowly and grudgingly by people who treat you with suspicion. 

 

If you can find the place, which isn't easy, don't go there at lunchtime, as all the staff retire to a nearby restaurant for an extended lunch.

[jonstarjon]

5 hours ago, Lungstib said:

In 1932 an effort was made to get a fairer more equal bureaucratic system.. If you read the statement they made at the time, announcement of the peoples party no.1, it appears that the present system has just replaced the old one with no apparent changes at all. Quite simply the state officials look to have immunity against prosecution and serious punishment. 85 years of ensuring nothing changes.

Government people have been able to envelope themselves in protection for the last 85 years spending most of their time creating structure and law to ensure that as they advance through the seniority scales and bands that their protection increases. They have spent more time sitting in their nice uniforms at their desks on creating these processes than ever doing the jobs they have been appointed for. Education has had the highest government spending than any other  social orientated department. Its been a good little earner for so many for so long. Change is impossible due to the good work of protectionism done. Simple changes to improve education in Thailand are impossible. I have held a huge amount of hard irrefutable evidence since 2001 against senior education officers in the south of Thailand. I have shown this personally to an ex vice prime minister and been told that it wasn't enough. The more evidence I collected the more I was told I was wasting my time. 

 

The truth is... Its impossible to irradicate the total corruption in the education system of Thailand. Don't bother trying 15 years of sitting on a bomb that just won't tick.. Crazy

[Samui Bodoh]

A poster above remarked on the 'honest' government officials.

 

There are no 'honest' government officials.

 

Does anyone believe that the ones who aren't stealing directly from the children aren't aware of the people who are? We have all seen the offices and we have all seen how the Thais interact. I seriously doubt that the theft is "unknown", rather that the theft is "unremarked on".

 

All those "honest" government employees are complicit as well.

 

And complicit as hell.

 

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, JOC said:

For crying out loud.....

Probably because the committee members all have had their sticky fingers in the cookie jar.....

Stealing is a criminal matter...a case for the police....Arrest the perpetrators and let them await trail in prison...!!

 

Interesting isn't it. Stealing, a criminal offence in most if not all countries, and here they need committees to pass resolutions whilst the police, anti corruption offices, and special law enforcement do nothing.

 

But defamation, which is uniquely a criminal offense as well as civil here. Defame, whether telling the truth or not, against the wrong people and whoosh - quickly charged with defamation and if via social media computer crimes.

 

The notion that if you steal a large amount of money or are given some of the stolen money, get caught, then you can simply say sorry, give it back and expect no other consequences, is also very unique.

[rkidlad]

There’s corruption everywhere, and some people say corruption is ingrained within Asian culture. Some people say it’s just a way of life. That’s how ‘they’ do it so let them crack on. I’d have no problem ignoring the attitude as an outsider if everyone was properly educated on what corruption is and how detrimental to society it is. If everyone knew and completely understood, and still accepted it, I’d say, “okay, go nuts”. It’s your choice. Only problem is many people don’t understand it. Many people do think it’s the norm. 

 

Look at South Korea for example. They’ve just sentenced their former and first female prime minister to 24 years in prison for corruption. How long ago do you think it would have been where the people in South Korea could never have even dreamed about something like this happening. Not that long ago. Guess it’s not so ingrained in Asian culture. People are learning more quickly now. 

 

Things often change because we are always learning. We are always developing. Things will never change if you keep repeating yourself. 

Edited April 6, 2018 by rkidlad

[Artisi]

12 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This is what is so very, very wrong in Thailand.

 

If I were to rob a corner store, I would (rightly) be arrested and likely sentenced to jail for the crime of theft. However, if I were a State Employee and I stole the exact same amount of money, I could simply return it and that would be the end of the matter (if it even went that far).

 

Respectfully Thailand, you have this backasswards! A State employee receives many guarantees including a job for life, medical care at a superior level to the general populace and a pension, among other perks. In return for this generous employment package, there is a granting of 'trust' for State employees, and when they break that trust they should be dealt with more harshly rather than more leniently. 

 

The second matter in this story is the Ministry of Education in general. As the article notes, there are already several cases of theft and embezzlement at the Ministry and I strongly suspect that if investigations continue, there will be many, many more. This lack of honesty and management, combined with the proven lack of ability in delivering a quality education to the children of Thailand, has reached a point whereby one has to wonder if the current leadership of the Ministry at both national and provincial level are able to reform it.

 

I would argue that they are not able to reform it.

 

I loathe Article 44, but in this case I would use it to fire the top 50 people at the national ministry offices and the top ten people at all the provincial offices immediately. Simply put they have already demonstrated that they are unable to run the ministry effectively and achieve proper outcomes, so out the door they go. Then, I would follow up on reforming the entire Ministry and I would use a chainsaw to do it.

 

The lack of a proper education system in Thailand is a clear and present danger to the future of the country and should be treated as such.

And they have been very naughty boys.... 

[Artisi]

7 hours ago, Lupatria said:

Meanwhile the man who pops up in the news like corn in a hot pot, making comments to all unimportant issues, keeps mum. He is probably Nero like fiddling in his palace, composing a musical, or writing a script for a nationalistic soap opera. 

And honing his acting skills hoping for a part in the next one. 

[Sir Dude]

Stealing state money from children...how low can you go? Pathetic.

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, Sir Dude said:

Stealing state money from children...how low can you go? Pathetic.

Don't think they have rock bottom as yet, but they are certainly trying their very very best.