Southern centre rejects accusations of corruption in purchase of water purifiers

By Nakarin Chinworakomon, 
Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai 
The Nation 

 

SBPAC secretary-general Supanat Sirantawineti

 

THE SOUTHERN Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) has dismissed allegations that its procurement of solar-powered water purification systems is mired in corruption.
 

“We have launched a probe and have not found any irregularities,” SBPAC secretary-general Supanat Sirantawineti said yesterday. 

He said the fact-finding committee set up by the SBPAC is composed of outsiders such as university lecturers and members of the civil sector. 

 

Supanat said he was told on Wednesday that the committee found nothing suspicious in the Bt55-million procurement. 

 

The probe was launched after several social-media users raised questions whether the solar-powered water purification systems were bought at an inflated price. 

 

“The King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang set the standard price for the system, at more than Bt600,000 each.

 

But we bought the systems at less than Bt600,000 apiece,” Supanat said. 

 

He added that each system could purify more than 4,000 litres of water each day. 

 

“If people have to buy drinking water at Bt5 a litre, it means each system can save people about Bt600,000 a month,” Supanat said. 

He insisted that these purifying systems responded well to the needs of the locals. 

 

SBPAC has bought more than 90 solar-powered water purification systems for five southern border provinces – Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. 

 

“Our supplier has also extended the warranty period from one to two years, specially for us,” Supanat said. 

 

Regarding allegations that five senior monks were involved in the embezzlement of state funds for temples, Crimes Suppression Division commander Pol Maj-General Maitree Chimcherd said yesterday that the investigation was still ongoing and had not yet reached a point of summoning the accused monks. 

 

He denied reports that the Anti-Money Laundering Office had already uncovered solid evidence against the monks and had called on his division to issue the summons. 

 

“During our latest meeting, we discussed gathering more evidence,” Maitree said. 

 

Three of the accused monks sit on the Sangha Supreme Council. 

 

In a related development, Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) member Pol General Jarumporn Suramanee said yesterday that an inspector-general of the Education Ministry had handed over the list of 44 officials who might have been involved in siphoning off money from the Educational Fund for Life Development.

 

“We will investigate them as alleged accomplices of Rojana Sintee, who has claimed sole responsibility for the fund embezzlement,” Jarumporn said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344066

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-27

Deny, deny, deny and if that doesn’t work...get that huge pink doll to help out. . 

Edited April 26, 20188 yr by Bluespunk

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

THE SOUTHERN Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) has dismissed allegations that its procurement of solar-powered water purification systems is mired in corruption.
 

“We have launched a probe and have not found any irregularities,” SBPAC secretary-general Supanat Sirantawineti said yesterday. 

Or put another way...

 

"We formed a committee to investigate ourselves and discovered that we are honest people. Case closed."

 

It is a shame to see Thailand's slide into this...

 

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

“We have launched a probe and have not found any irregularities,” SBPAC secretary-general Supanat Sirantawineti said yesterday

 

Nope, we investigated ourselves and didn't find anything wrong...

Plus we got a "special" 2 year warranty, geez....

Ahhh the inevitable probe. 

We have launched a probe but not found any irregularities.

Of course you wont, it has been covered up, and your envelope has been passed over.

Ahhhhhh! This is why I like Thailand, everyone is honest!

The water purification systems can also sniff out explosives and put out fires on the GXL model.  

29 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

The water purification systems can also sniff out explosives and put out fires on the GXL model.  

And drinking this purified water cures cancer AND Ebola.  Side effects include near-nearsightedness and an increased bank balance.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

If people have to buy drinking water at Bt5 a litre, it means each system can save people about Bt600,000 a month,” Supanat said. 

But....but...the water dispenser outside my house does 1.15 litres for 4 baht ! Seems like someones skimming 1 baht for every litre on top of these machines too !

"There is NO corruption in Thailand! Honest!"

sad

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“If people have to buy drinking water at Bt5 a litre, it means each system can save people about Bt600,000 a month,” Supanat said. 

That is some sound piece of math right there, my boy. Did you come up with this all on your own, or did you have the help of some 7-Eleven girls and their calculators?

I knew a Thai purchaser at a school where I worked. We were sitting next to each other at a boring presentation. As she browsed through a newspaper, she came across an ad for plastic chairs, 100 baht each, that she needed to buy. She broke out her cell phone and started using the calculator. When I asked her why didn't she just do the numbers in her head, she replied she needed to add in HER percentage to skim off the total. Every time this school would buy new school books, there was ALWAYS an envelope to be given to the purchaser of whatever brand we used that year. Several times I was asked to review the books before a decision for purchase and make a recommendation. After a few times seeing no one cared about the books, it was the highest amount the school purchaser could get back from the vendor that decided what brand to buy, I stopped going.  It's part of their culture.

11 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Deny, deny, deny and if that doesn’t work...get that huge pink doll to help out. . 

Actually it usually works, with the way the defamatory law are. I am sure Pink doll would agree.

6 minutes ago, Tilacme said:

Actually it usually works, with the way the defamatory law are. I am sure Pink doll would agree.

Good to know.