Bangkok Administration Files Corruption Complaint Over D.S.I. Skytrain Probe

[webfact]

SKY TRAIN SCANDAL

BMA files corruption complaint over DSI probe

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation's investigation into the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's extension of the BTS Skytrain concession is a politically motivated vendetta aimed at undermining Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra's run for re-election, a top BMA official said yesterday.

Deputy Governor Theerachon Manomaiphiboon spoke to reporters after lodging a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission against DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith, accusing him of four counts of malfeasance-related offences.

The BMA management also submitted the issue to the Ombudsman's Office, which has forwarded the matter to the Justice Ministry for further scrutiny. Theerachon said the BMA also made a complaint directly to the DSI, asking for clarification and relevant documents.

In the complaint submitted to the NACC, the BMA accuses Tarit of unlawfully taking action against the BMA over the extension of the contract. It says the DSI has unlawfully jumped to the conclusion that BMA had no authority to make any decisions about the BTS concession.

The DSI also failed to submit the issue to the NACC within a 30-day deadline. Further, the DSI unlawfully presented the BTS case to the DSI board and unlawfully convinced it to take the issue under its jurisdiction. Sukhumbhand's term as Bangkok governor ends on January 11.

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

[McMagus]

Ok, first off out of the blocks with this one. A number of issues here, not the least of which is the Thai propensity to sue and counter sue like spoilt kids in the sandpit. One may well ask why the concession was just extended for 13 years in one instance and 30 yrs in another scheme without there ever having been any cogent analysis of the benefits from the present concessionaire? At the end of the contract why was it not thrown open for tender again? If anybody knows different please correct me but I am led to believe they eventually ordered one new carriage for each train on the Sukhumvit line (bringing them up from 3 to 4) only to find when they got here that they could not use them because the couplings did not match...<deleted> ? If this is so.. and I stress if, who was the dummy in charge? As for the blaring noise ... don't get me started.

[whybother]

Ok, first off out of the blocks with this one. A number of issues here, not the least of which is the Thai propensity to sue and counter sue like spoilt kids in the sandpit. One may well ask why the concession was just extended for 13 years in one instance and 30 yrs in another scheme without there ever having been any cogent analysis of the benefits from the present concessionaire? At the end of the contract why was it not thrown open for tender again? If anybody knows different please correct me but I am led to believe they eventually ordered one new carriage for each train on the Sukhumvit line (bringing them up from 3 to 4) only to find when they got here that they could not use them because the couplings did not match...<deleted> ? If this is so.. and I stress if, who was the dummy in charge? As for the blaring noise ... don't get me started.

A new concession was granted for 30 years for the BTS extension, and the existing concession was extended 13 years to match the end date of the new concession.

[RogueExpat]

About time somebody started to rein in this loose cannon Tarit for basically handpicking which politically fabricated cases are pursued to damage decent politician's reputations, and which legimate cases are thrown to the waste paper bin, because they are embarassing for the current crop of political thugs running the country.

[h90]

Thailand on the way down....suing each other, bribing police, courts, DSI or putting cronies or even relatives in.....

This government convince every Thai that a coup would be the better option...

[Moruya]

Insects devouring one another on an atom of mud that sometimes gets wet.

[tragickingdom]

Sukhumband and his cronies behave like Calimero.

[khunken]

Sukhumband and his cronies behave like Calimero.

Who?

[Moruya]

Sukhumband and his cronies behave like Calimero.

Thaksin does the calamari- fingers into everything

[chotthee]

The law say you cannot sue the BKK governor.

They are above the law.

Go wiki to find out.

[NewlyMintedThai]

The law say you cannot sue the BKK governor.

They are above the law.

Go wiki to find out.

Link, please?

[whybother]

The law say you cannot sue the BKK governor.

They are above the law.

Go wiki to find out.

Link, please?

What the Troll is trying to suggest is that the Bangkok governor is related to royalty and therefore "is above the law".

[NewlyMintedThai]

The law say you cannot sue the BKK governor.

They are above the law.

Go wiki to find out.

Link, please?

What the Troll is trying to suggest is that the Bangkok governor is related to royalty and therefore "is above the law".

There are tens of thousands of people who are "related to royalty". Only the immediate family has special dispensation.

[asiawatcher]

Someone should at least find out why the MRT and the BTS are still two carriages short for safety of commuters - this is an accident waiting to happen - and in true Thai style, now they have traffic control on passengers wanting to head to the platforms. Isn't existing 'traffic control' enough of a poor example to attest to the stupidity which could easily be solved by simply adding additional carriages?

Or is this all part of the "he says she says" law suit and complaint - to figure out who got paid off and was the payoffs for the contract renewals the reason they cannot afford extra carriages?

Never a dull moment in dull Thai government and law.

[whybother]

Someone should at least find out why the MRT and the BTS are still two carriages short for safety of commuters - this is an accident waiting to happen - and in true Thai style, now they have traffic control on passengers wanting to head to the platforms. Isn't existing 'traffic control' enough of a poor example to attest to the stupidity which could easily be solved by simply adding additional carriages?

Or is this all part of the "he says she says" law suit and complaint - to figure out who got paid off and was the payoffs for the contract renewals the reason they cannot afford extra carriages?

Never a dull moment in dull Thai government and law.

How will providing 2 extra carriages provide extra safety?

(btw: BTS and MRT are designed for 6 carriages. The BTS Silom line currently has 4, and the BTS Sukhumvit line and MRT has 3)

[animatic]

Ok, first off out of the blocks with this one. A number of issues here, not the least of which is the Thai propensity to sue and counter sue like spoilt kids in the sandpit. One may well ask why the concession was just extended for 13 years in one instance and 30 yrs in another scheme without there ever having been any cogent analysis of the benefits from the present concessionaire? At the end of the contract why was it not thrown open for tender again? If anybody knows different please correct me but I am led to believe they eventually ordered one new carriage for each train on the Sukhumvit line (bringing them up from 3 to 4) only to find when they got here that they could not use them because the couplings did not match...<deleted> ? If this is so.. and I stress if, who was the dummy in charge? As for the blaring noise ... don't get me started.

A new concession was granted for 30 years for the BTS extension, and the existing concession was extended 13 years to match the end date of the new concession.

And the 30 year deal was done quick to get Thaksin's crew's fingers out of the pie for a long time,

and the 'DSI Investigation' was simply to snatch the graft potential back for Thaksin's Crew.

And now the BA is charging, quite correctly, that this is the case.

Pretty simple actually.