Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought

[webfact]

Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought

By THE NATION

 

 

A REPRESENTATIVE of people with disabilities yesterday petitioned the Office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to probe various associations advocating the cause of those with disability amid allegations that they had siphoned off as much as Bt1.5 billion a year from training/seminar expenses and funds for employing the disabled.
 

The president of the Network for Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Preeda Limnontakul, also wanted a probe against state officials whose negligence had allowed these groups to cheat people.

 

Preeda submitted the petition to the NHRC Human Rights Protection Bureau director Anyarat Engchuan. He said many victims lacked knowledge about a vocationally-trained disabled person’s legal right for a job with Bt109,000 per annum salary. Thailand has 1.7 million disabled persons, he said. 

 

Preeda said the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2007 required a business establishment to hire one disabled person per 100 workers, otherwise it had to contribute to the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Fund an amount equivalent to what it would have paid for hiring such personnel.

 

It turned out that 5,000 out of the 25,000 disable persons said to be employed did not work, though their names were being used, Preeda alleged. These people did not know that they were each entitled to a Bt9,500 monthly salary. They were cheated by the mediating associations and foundations which paid them only Bt500-Bt3,000 per month, he alleged. 

 

As a business can contribute to the fund – which was worth Bt6 billion a year – it offered a loophole for corruption, he said. He estimated the damage from such corruption at Bt1 billion a year. Explaining their modus operandi, he said, the associations and foundations gathered name lists of disabled persons in provinces.

 

These were submitted to the Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Labour Ministry’s Department of Employment to propose vocational training/seminars, he said. They then siphoned money off from the budgets allocated from the fund by, for example, claming a speaker’s fee of Bt300,000 when they actually paid the speaker only Bt30,000.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354661

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-18

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought..."

 

I am 100% in favour of finding out the extent of the theft of funds allocated for the disabled and seeing rectification; one significant measure of a society is to see how it treats its most vulnerable and/or disadvantaged.

 

However, petitioning the Office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a waste of time, money and resources. Given all that the Junta has done to that organization/office, it would be equally effective to petition Daisy, the juggling Labrador.

 

The disabled in Thailand face tremendous challenges; it would be nice to actually see a government agency work for their benefit a bit...

 

 

[Cadbury]

It seems like there is nowhere in the Thai civil service that is safe from corruption. In every dark corner of the service there lurks heartless and scheming opportunists ready to pounce on any funding which goes unaudited; which apparently is just about everything. 

Sadly the ones who seem to suffer the most are those who need help the most. Like the destitute and disabled.

Have these thieves no shame? Or do they only feel guilt if and when they are caught.

[zzaa09]

21 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

It seems like there is nowhere in the Thai civil service that is safe from corruption. In every dark corner of the service there lurks heartless and scheming opportunists ready to pounce on any funding which goes unaudited; which apparently is just about everything. 

Sadly the ones who seem to suffer the most are those who need help the most. Like the destitute and disabled.

Have these thieves no shame? Or do they only feel guilt if and when they are caught.

Not to worry.

It will cycle back.

[z42]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

It seems like there is nowhere in the Thai civil service that is safe from corruption. In every dark corner of the service there lurks heartless and scheming opportunists ready to pounce on any funding which goes unaudited; which apparently is just about everything. 

Sadly the ones who seem to suffer the most are those who need help the most. Like the destitute and disabled.

Have these thieves no shame? Or do they only feel guilt if and when they are caught.

The most on-point post i have read in a long time. These crooks rinsing the system at every opportunity are the absolute dregs of society, and very clearly don't beleieve what they are doing is wrong at all. Even a faux apology is beyond them, the system in its current state is an absolute cesspool of greed, corruption, incompetence, and outright criminality.

 

Time and again, the punishment for large scale graft and theft has seemingly been dismissal only, with only on the odd occasion somebody at mid level getting a riduclously lengthly jail term as some kind of window dresssing. It simply doesn't get any sicker than stealing from the disabled and destitute

[Esso49]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought..."

 

I am 100% in favour of finding out the extent of the theft of funds allocated for the disabled and seeing rectification; one significant measure of a society is to see how it treats its most vulnerable and/or disadvantaged.

 

However, petitioning the Office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a waste of time, money and resources. Given all that the Junta has done to that organization/office, it would be equally effective to petition Daisy, the juggling Labrador.

 

The disabled in Thailand face tremendous challenges; it would be nice to actually see a government agency work for their benefit a bit...

 

 

Do you have a link please to Daisy, the juggling Labrador ?  I want to ask her the question if she can help ?  ?

[colinneil]

51 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Not to worry.

It will cycle back.

What a sick comment, clearly you are not disabled, making that comment.

Thailand is still in the dark ages, regarding facilities for the disabled, yet money for helping them is being siphoned off by greedy corrupt bar stewards, who think to hell with them, i need a new Merc, condo for mia noi etc, disgusting.

[scorecard]

15 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a sick comment, clearly you are not disabled, making that comment.

Thailand is still in the dark ages, regarding facilities for the disabled, yet money for helping them is being siphoned off by greedy corrupt bar stewards, who think to hell with them, i need a new Merc, condo for mia noi etc, disgusting.

I think the poster means that karma will eventually bounce back and punish these scaly thieves. 

 

However I would prefer to see them punished immediately (after fair trial) with long jail sentences (at least 25 years) seriously shamed and all stolen funds returned, and if that puts the family of the thief in difficulties so be it.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2018 by scorecard

[jerojero]

Shouldn't have to petition for an obvious investigation that neefs to take place. What's wrong with this so-called Government? Sheesh!

[Lungstib]

In most countries you would look at this accusation and say 'surely not'. Its worth noting that everyone here has not a shred of doubt its happening. Is there no level they wont stoop to to enrich themselves?

[Sir Dude]

Blimey, stealing from the disabled is pretty low...but there are no bounds here. What depths will they slither down to next?

[mikebell]

Just when you think Thai Officialdom could sink no lower than stealing from children in need, it manages somehow to surpass even that depravity.

[worgeordie]

Is nothing, not subject to corruption,school kids, the destitute,farmers,

and now  the handicapped,its a disgusting state of affairs, these

people have no conscience,and are devoid of any morals,to steal 

from the poor ,unfortunate and destitute.

 

This has been going on for years at every level of Government,

and agencies,and i can see it continuing,as there are no real

penalties if you are caught with your hand in the till,transfered

is not punishment that fits the crime,

 

regards Worgeordie

[sammieuk1]

There's an embezzling weevil woven into the Thai fabric at every level of  public office ?

[ChrisY1]

This was detected months ago....and it seems nothing has happened.....probably nothing will happen!

[Hayduke]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought

 

Unfortunately the probe will need to be postponed as the funds allocated for misappropriation probes have gone missing....

 

 

[GinBoy2]

On any given day, if 'they' wanted you could find graft in almost every government dept, from top to bottom.

Is so ingrained, it almost an assumed part of their salary, it like the BiB

But until it's rooted out at the very top, nothing's gonna change, and I'll be long dead and buried before the ruling elite give up the idea that government is just their personal piggy bank.

Welcome to Thai(LaLa)land

[Grossman]

Prawit's bad poo-poo problems must be disabling to some degree, so the siphoning is well justified and no need to probe further. Just a misunderstanding; Case closed, move along.. but do remember to come back for questioning and detainment once we throw in the cybercrime charge for publicly implying there's some nasty siphoning foul play going on when in reality funds are, in fact, being properly allocated.

 

In other words, as sad and disgraceful this is, nothing will happen as it would have a negative impact on the faces and wallets of the people whose faces and wallets are not to be meddled with..

[Lupatria]

Sadly nothing new at the hub of 'misappropriation'. The "greedisation" of officials is the real Thailand 4.0

[robblok]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

I think the poster means that karma will eventually bounce back and punish these scaly thieves. 

 

However I would prefer to see them punished immediately (after fair trial) with long jail sentences (at least 25 years) seriously shamed and all stolen funds returned, and if that puts the family of the thief in difficulties so be it.

 

 

That is the problem we never see how they have to pay it back. I wish we could see how things would progress, the Thai media is not really good at keeping track.

 

I must say since the junta is in power more and more scandals like this have been exposed. Can't say that i saw much of this happening during the days of the Shins. I won't make any comments on why.. but it seems to be a trend that more and more is exposed.. its a beginning.. now if punishment was more harsh.

[Eric Loh]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Probe into misappropriation of funds for disabled sought

I would expect the junta PM to jump off his seat and order his AG or DSI to investigate this massive scandal. After all he vowed to eradicate corruption. 

[jippytum]

Thailand's corruption is shameless robbing schoolkids the poorest of the poor and the disabled .Gets worse every year .A bottomless pit of greed .

[Grossman]

25 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I would expect the junta PM to jump off his seat and order his AG or DSI to investigate this massive scandal. After all he vowed to eradicate corruption. 

 

I think he'll get to the bottom of it.. Right after he finishes eradicating poverty as he vowed to do too. 

[thaichiro]

Why anyone would donate to Thai charities? No oversight and plenty of sticky fingers. You want to help, find some poor souls in your area and do it personally. I know the government was involved in this disgrace, but you can’t do anything but complain against them.

[hotchilli]

It seems when you attain a government official position you begin a life of endless opportunities without the worry of being challenged by subordinates or by ordinary people.

In a land where status rules over everyone this type of crime can and will continue to fester without interruption!

[Redline]

Rule in Tland-any funds for the needy or desperate will be stolen-this highly moral society