Education Ministry calls for graft probe in 11 provinces

By The Nation

 

Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin

 

Bribe sought from schools for budget

 

THE PACC Region 3 director has been told to launch fact-finding probes into alleged corruption in Education Ministry budgets in 11 northeastern provinces. 

 

Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) secretary-general Kornthip Daroj, who issued the order, said yesterday that the agency would also coordinate with the ministry to prevent needless budget requests while some cases covered by the ministry in its initial probe might be revisited by the PACC, he said.

 

The move follows Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin’s revelation on Wednesday of alleged corruption at various schools in Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Roi Et, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chaiyaphum provinces. The ministry’s initial probe had uncovered many graft cases committed by the Office of Basic Education Commission’s (Obec) educational service area offices, Kornthip said. 

He cited as example the case of the 28th Secondary Educational Service Area Office in Yasothon, which had proposed a Bt279-million project to buy industrial skill development materials for lower-secondary students at about Bt600,000 each for the 458 participating schools, Kornthip said. Subsequently, the number of schools was increased to 600. Many schools also complained about alleged fixing of specifications and that the purchased materials were not what the schools had asked for or needed.

 

In another case, an official at the 5th Primary Educational Service Area Office in Nakhon Ratchasima province was found to have been making needless budget requests for many schools, Kornthip said. Another 57 partly-blank budget requests had been filed to later fill in information for seeking reimbursement from the leftover budget at the end of the fiscal year. Although the Nakhon Ratchasima official was punished and placed on probation, the PACC would probe it again because such budget withdrawals required codes that only the head accountant and the office director would know, raising suspicions that this official might have had some accomplices, he said.

 

The director of an educational service area office in Buri Ram province was accused of demanding a 10-per cent commission for allocation of budgets to local schools. Most of them had to comply with the demand for commission or they would have had to forfeit their budgets, Kornthip added.

 

On Wednesday, Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces from a report by his adviser, Lt-General Kosol Prathumchatabout. Kosol said the Buri Ram educational service area office director was accused of demanding commission fees for budget allocations in fiscal year 2019. The complaint was filed by 10 school directors who had testified about the demand for a bribe. Obec has been told to proceed with legal action against the accused director. 

 

Disciplinary probes

 

Kosol said the budget request for Yasothon’s skill development material procurement project was now being considered by Obec, which has sent letters asking schools to confirm if they were interested in the materials requisitioned under the project. 

 

Obec assistant secretary-general Amporn Pinasa on Wednesday said the agency had begun a fact-finding probe against three former directors of the Buri Ram educational service area offices. 

 

They were accused of being involved in bogus teacher training to appropriate funds from the budget. He said the fact-finding panel had concluded that serious disciplinary probes should be launched against the three unnamed former directors, currently serving in other positions – two at Bangkok educational service area offices and one at a regional education office.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30346799

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-02

I applaud the minister for beginning some action against what seems to be endemic and systematic corruption throughout his Ministry; from all that I have read it has been endemic for decades and has corrupted every level, every budget, every nook and every cranny of the Ministry.

 

However, I would respectfully suggest that instead of starting in the NE and the 11 districts/provinces, I would request a serious investigation of all (Yes, every last one!!!) current and recently retired bureaucrats who work(ed) at the head office in Bangkok.

 

Simply put, a fish rots at the head.

 

"...On Wednesday, Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces from a report by his adviser..."

 

"I am shocked..." Hmm... I wonder if the Minister is aware of the pedigree of that particular comment? Perhaps not...

 

Personally, 'I am shocked' that he is just discovering that there is corruption in the Education system now...

 

9 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

was found to have been making needless budget requests for many schools, Kornthip said. Another 57 partly-blank budget requests

has little to do with end-user needs; on the blank budget requests, i wonder if the recipient was also blank

When the punishment is probation for what is quite obviously a serious criminal offence of embezzlement, then any investigation is a sham.

If every robber could use the term "but we have given the money back" , where would we be? 

Well the robbers would continue to rob! !!!

53 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

On Wednesday, Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces from a report by his adviser

Then he was probably alone. Very few reading this report in the Nation will be even a tiny bit surprised.

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I applaud the minister for beginning some action against what seems to be endemic and systematic corruption throughout his Ministry; from all that I have read it has been endemic for decades and has corrupted every level, every budget, every nook and every cranny of the Ministry.

 

However, I would respectfully suggest that instead of starting in the NE and the 11 districts/provinces, I would request a serious investigation of all (Yes, every last one!!!) current and recently retired bureaucrats who work(ed) at the head office in Bangkok.

 

Simply put, a fish rots at the head.

 

"...On Wednesday, Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces from a report by his adviser..."

 

"I am shocked..." Hmm... I wonder if the Minister is aware of the pedigree of that particular comment? Perhaps not...

 

Personally, 'I am shocked' that he is just discovering that there is corruption in the Education system now...

 

Said it before ad nauseam and I'll say it again because it's right that people should be sick of it.

 

I estimate 80% of Thais to be corrupt and/or dishonest. It's the culture they've been brought up in and they've seen waaaay too many people get away with it - starting up in the clouds, at the top of the tree.

 

When wondering if someone is corrupt, the most useful and indicative question is likely to be ' are they Thai?'.

 

I am no longer surprised when new corruption is found - it;s a part of the national charactsristic, like eating somtam and enjoyng really smelly and fat-laden fruits and eating low-quality meats.

 

The minister isn't shocked, he knew what he would find when he went looking. He may may be honest and perhaps he hasn't had any kick-backs or rising money, but the first rule should apply: 'Is he Thai?" And he is so great scepticism about his integrity should be applied.

 

All the buggers are at it. Lying, cheating and stealing, it's the Thai way.

 

Edited June 2, 20188 yr by KiwiKiwi

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

On Wednesday, Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces

Shocked because  he thought the number would much higher.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Education Minister Teerakiat said he was shocked to know about wrongdoings in the 11 northeastern provinces from a report by his adviser.

 

An Education Minister with no self-motivation but relies on someone else to tell him there's wrongdoing within his ministry?

Of course he must be telling the truth, so I'd suggest he can't really be Thai if he's not aware of it happening. Or is he perhaps a graduate from his own ministry - under-educated and unable to think for himself?

 

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

An Education Minister with no self-motivation but relies on someone else to tell him there's wrongdoing within his ministry?

Of course he must be telling the truth, so I'd suggest he can't really be Thai if he's not aware of it happening. Or is he perhaps a graduate from his own ministry - under-educated and unable to think for himself?

 

All of that is possible, of course he knew about the corruption, or should have done, that's one of the things the people of Thailand pay him for.

 

My personal conviction is that this guy has received corrupt money. he may be reformed now, but he has been (and possibly still is) corrupt. So he would have or ought to have known.

 

Shocked my ass, he was only shocked if he was stupid or incompetent.

47 minutes ago, KiwiKiwi said:

Shocked my ass, he was only shocked if he was stupid or incompetent.

 

Or poked his fingers in an electric outlet.

40 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Or poked his fingers in an electric outlet.

 

lol. In which case he was probably prettystupid. The Thai power grid is a complete shambles and the power supply is very dirty.

 

I did some more research on this guy. My estimates appear to have been right, there are allegations of corruption against him before his elevation in the ministry. Before blurting about the corruption that exists at present, he was very careful to make sure his previous tracks were carefully covered. Nevertheless, the proof of the pudding lies in whether or not there will be any convictions for corruption among the current batch of folk to be investigations. By bet is there won't be - he won't want to prosecute anyone if there is the least chance they can point the finger back at him (and the corruption community in Thailand make that almost inevitable - lots of folk know where the bodies and audit trails are buried). Allegedly.

 

So it will be hello inactive posts and an announcement that the Lone Ranger and Tonto have solved the corruption problem. Wait a while for it all to die down and some repostings to happen, and it'll all be on again. After tll,, corruption is a tradition, most of the 200 fmilies got to be in the 200 families because of Chinese connections and corruption. I startes way up in the clouds and stretched right down to the local pooyay baan.

 

Real exceptions in this place are very hard to find.

Edited June 2, 20188 yr by KiwiKiwi

The whole ministry need audit.

EVERY PART!!!