2 Bangkok District Chiefs Transferred Following Santika Fire

[george]

2 Bangkok district chiefs transferred following Santika fire

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Wednesday transferred directors of Wattana and Pathumwan district offices following the Santka Pub fire.

BMA City Clerk Pongsak Semsan said Wattana district office director Worapot Inthulak and Pathumwan district office director Surakiat Limcharoen were transferred to inactive posts at the BMA head office pending and investigation whether they should be partly held responsible the authorization of the opening of santika Pub in 2003.

In 2003, Surakiat was deputy Wattana district director.

The transfers will take effect Thursday.

-- The Nation 2009-01-28

[FatherF]

Caught with their fingers in the tea money jar?

FF

[BSJ]

2003 to 2009. The surprising thing is it's taken 6 years to get to this point and it's still not finished!

[Scott]

They probably don't mind being transferred....no more money to be made where they are.

[Old Man River]

They probably don't mind being transferred....no more money to be made where they are.

When you are in a position of authority there is always money to be made. That is how the whole system works.

[mrtoad]

They probably don't mind being transferred....no more money to be made where they are.

When you are in a position of authority there is always money to be made. That is how the whole system works.

None more so than here.

I am still looking for an inactive post, but my boss says they are only available to Thais.

[Jai Dee]

BKK district chiefs suspended for negligence that led to fire deaths

The directors of Bangkok's Wattana and Pathumwan district offices were suspended from active duty today, accused of negligence in regulating the Santika Club.

So far six suspects have been charged as a result of the ongoing police investigation into the santika Club inferno, which killed 66 partygoers and injured many others on New Year's eve.

The suspended are Pathumwan district office director Surakiat Limcharoen, who approved the opening of santika Club in 2003, and Wattana district office director Worapot Inthulak, who was deemed negligent over club inspections. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the two would remain in inactive posts until the BMA assigned committee's investigation was complete.

Surakiat said he was shocked by the order for his suspension, which he called "a matter of life and death" that affected his career, but declined to give details.

Floor plans discovered

BMA Public Works Department chief Chatinai Naowaphut, who heads the BMA assigned committee, said they needed 15 more days for the probe.

The committee recently got hold of the santika floor plans, which the district office had said were lost, and found that the building had been modified from a residential building to an entertainment venue without permission, the source said.

Deputy Police commissioner General Jongrak Juthanon yesterday said police hadn't closed the santika case yet, despite the arrest of Burn lead singer Saravuth Ariya, who was accused of lighting the fireworks that led caused the inferno.

Investigations into possiฌble tax evasion and allegaฌtions that a senior policeman had shares in the club's businesses are ongoing.

Rights and Liberties Protection Department (RLPD) chief Suwana Suwanjutha said yesterday that the families of 45 who died in the fire would be compensated with about Bt80,000 each.

Source: The Nation - 29 January 2009

[catmac]

More on the Santika scam here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7865349.stm

remains to be seen whether the real culprits will ever face justice.