Probe absolves top education official

By KETKARN BOONPEN 
THE NATION 

 

 

TWO AGENCIES have found no grounds to believe the current permanent secretary for Education or his predecessors have corruptly taken money from the Educational Fund for Life Development, Education Minister Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said yesterday.

 

“Information from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission [PACC] and the Education Ministry suggests that the top executives might have been just negligent,” he said. 

 

Teerakiat was speaking after attending a meeting with relevant authorities, including the PACC and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). 

 

At the meeting, the participants also reviewed the report on the Education Ministry’s internal investigation into the alleged misuse of the fund. 

 

Teerakiat said about Bt77 million of the fund had gone to undeserving recipients between 2005 and this year. 

 

After the alleged corruption was exposed, Rojana Sintee – a C8-level official at the Education Ministry – confessed that she had embezzled the money and claimed she acted alone. 

 

Following the confession, she was fired from service.

 

“The internal probe suggests Rojana and three other education officials had committed grave disciplinary offences over the handling of the fund,” he said. 

 

According to him, one of them is even more senior than Rojana and had long worked closely with her. 

 

“Two others have just got involved at some point,” Teerakiat said. 

 

The education minister refused to identify the officials except Rojana. But he revealed all four of them have held the ranks of C8 or higher.

 

Teerakiat said the internal probe had already concluded and the next step for the Education Ministry was to take disciplinary action against implicated officials and former officials. 

 

He said the AMLO would also take action against accomplices who did not work at the Education Ministry. 

 

“Those accomplices will face charges of money laundering,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344985

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-10

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

the top executives might have been just negligent,

 

Oh bless, just negligent..

Pretty much the same as ol' Yingluck was, but she was hounded through the courts into exile !!

Double standards seem to be the order of the day when it comes to internal investigations here...

Who would have thought.........?

Top executives were not negligent when topping up their massive pension funds,

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Information from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission [PACC] and the Education Ministry suggests that the top executives might have been just negligent,” he said. 

sounds like this 'probe' was a bunch of hahahas over a few beers

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Information from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission [PACC] and the Education Ministry suggests that the top executives might have been just negligent,”................. the next step for the Education Ministry was to take disciplinary action against implicated officials and former officials. 

Is it the recommendation of the PACC that only disciplinary action be taken against civil servants within the Education Department? Unlike those outside the public sector who cleaned the money for them the full force of the law will be coming down hard on them and they will face criminal charges for money laundering. 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

top executives might have been just negligent

Only "might"? Clever wording. Sounds like there is some doubt which they should be given the benefit of. Given that PACC is the same internal investigation organisation doing the enquiry into the disappearance of funds intended for the destitute one can only now wonder what findings and punishment they will come out with for their public sector associates who are involved. Just disciplinary action for what "might" have been a little wide spread negligence by what "might" have been a large number of people? 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

After the alleged corruption was exposed, Rojana Sintee – a C8-level official at the Education Ministry – confessed that she had embezzled the money and claimed she acted alone. 

So, she lied on acting alone according to the findings in rest of the article. No surprise from a fraudster. Hampering the investigation should be grounds for additional punishment, and I hope everything else she said was fully verified.

 

It is really is time the threat of some truly inconvenient punishment was made in these cases, I imagine those caught would turn pretty quick and sing like canaries on their partners in crime. Not sure the higher ups are going to like that though...would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

 

Enough bird similes for one day?

Edited May 10, 20188 yr by realfunster

2 hours ago, webfact said:

executives might have been just negligent,” he said. 

Just a wee bit ‘o negligence, guys. Come on! Not as if these people are doctors or anything. 

 

What would the poor people have done with the money anyway? Educated themselves and given themselves a future? Don’t be silly. They’re happy as they are. 

 

Nothing to see here. Just people in top positions not doing their jobs properly. Move along.

 

I think "get out of jail free" is Monopoly.

Put in jail. Throw key.

2 hours ago, doremifasol said:

Who would have thought.........?

Indeed. On the balance of probabilities, I personally believe the safest approach to Thai officialdom at ALL levels, is to assume they are corrupt. That way you will not get any disappointments and you may get an occasional pleasant surprise if they turn out not to be corrupt in your case. A lack of corruption in some cases does not imply a lack of corruption in all cases.

 

This is the country that Thais have built, I wish them much pleasure from it. While it lasts.

3 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Oh bless, just negligent..

Pretty much the same as ol' Yingluck was, but she was hounded through the courts into exile !!

Double standards seem to be the order of the day when it comes to internal investigations here...

 

Double standards - more like no standards. Just make it up as you go along, providing your the one in charge!

45 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Just a wee bit ‘o negligence, guys. Come on! Not as if these people are doctors or anything. 

 

What would the poor people have done with the money anyway? Educated themselves and given themselves a future? Don’t be silly. They’re happy as they are. 

 

Nothing to see here. Just people in top positions not doing their jobs properly. Move along.

 

 

That's an interesting thought. If the people are educated they might worry a lot about all this corruption and ineffective government and administration. That would make them very unhappy. Keep them as is, or better still make sure this fake social media stuff is censored and controlled. This information age is all very well, providing the information is controlled and for their good. 

 

Keep them uneducated and hard at work, grateful for a pittance of pay, and they won't have much to worry about! Don't want them to start thinking, might make them wonder where the Benz, Bentleys, expensive watches, designer clothes and mansions all came from.

 

Simply applying disciplinary measures without the threat of prison does not discourage the others in the future. Need to force them to pay it back, and take their property if they don't.

 

Criminals in the UK not only face prison, but also confiscation orders to remove any benefit from their crimes. If they don't pay, their prison sentences are increased. Here, you don't even hear of anyone "high up" ever going to court or being sent to prison, that's why the gravy train continues.

Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed !

Of course ,why not?