BMA officials hear charges over BTS deal

Tanatpong Kongsai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Three officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, led by city clerk Ninnart Chalitanont, reported to the Department of Special Investigation yesterday in order to acknowledge charges related to a deal signed for the BTS Skytrain services.

"I have signed a statement acknowledging the charges before providing my rebuttal," Ninnart said.

The DSI cited the Criminal Code and the 1972 Revolutionary Announcement as the basis to accuse the three officials of conspiring to operate the elevated rail network without getting an okay from the Interior Ministry.

The other two suspects are former city clerk Charoenrat Chutikan and Thana Wichaisan of the Traffic and Transportation Department.

Lead investigator Thawal Mangkang said the three suspects were very cooperative, adding that the outcome of the case would hinge on a judicial review of the suspects' mandate based on a number of laws.

The DSI contends that the officials were obliged to seek the interior minister's approval before signing the pact. However, the suspects have responded that they acted within their mandate because the BTS deal was a contract to operate the services, not a state concession.

Two executives of the BTS operating company are scheduled to acknowledge their charges today.

DSI's investigation into the case should be wrapped up within a month before it is forwarded for a prosecution review.

Separately, the DSI has summoned 44 Democrats tomorrow to hear charges of violating the Political Party Law by donating a part of their salary to their party by having their wages deducted instead of paying with a cheque. Democrat Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who is hoping to be re-elected as Bangkok governor, is among those summoned.

-- The Nation 2013-01-16

isn't this a proceedural issue rather than criminal ? again the DSI walks on egg shells

what on earth is this pay by check nonesense

Seems to be impossible to do something in an honest way in this country Academic including !!

come on people, it is election time, how else can the red shirts garner votes unless they make up stuff about their opponents through their leaders well paid officials, this is Thailand after all.

"... the basis to accuse the three officials of conspiring to operate the elevated rail network without getting an okay from the Interior Ministry"

And if found guilty what pray tell could possibly be done? Shut it down whilst waiting for the bureaucracy to solve such an important issue?

As for "donating a part of their salary to their party by having their wages deducted instead of paying with a cheque"

... is DSI serious? Is this just another fantasy charge by the Government or DSI trying to justify its existence? I am sure there are far better and more appropriate things to investigate, like politicians involved in Human Trafficking or the Rice Scam... or was it the journalist is just a poor stringer without a story needing pay day?

PTP is resorting to Luddite laws to score cheap political points. Automatic payroll deductions for regular payments and electronic transfer for less regular have been standard methods for decades.

Writing dud cheques was known as "kiting" - PTP is "flying a kite" which has a different meaning here.

Rather amusing really, here we had a large construction project which was very prominent and in public view along Sukhumvit Road.

Said project caused a bottle neck or two but nobody from the Interior Ministry noticed it was an illegal development once test trains began to operate to test the signalling system and driver training etc. ?

Now if it had been a covert behind the walls project one could possibly excuse the Interior Ministry and its ignorance.

Perhaps the Interior Ministry was under the auspices of the exterior ministry at the time thus it (the Interior Ministry) was blinded to the fact of the construction which was ongoing for a few years, well I passed through the construction areas on Sukhumvit road a time or two whilst driving to work and from work and I certainly noticed the construction activities

I suppose the relevant official in the Interior Ministry never traveled along Sukhumvit road hence their ignorance as to the state of affairs.

Edited January 16, 201313 yr by siampolee

And I thought the DSI was supposed to investigate major criminal cases too big (or conflicting) for the ordinary police to handle.

The 'huge' case of donations by deduction instead of cheque does actually reveal their instructions blatantly.

this is all about passing control of the BTS operation to a Red Shirt organisation as are the National parks - airport facilities and every other state owned/run facility in Thailand, I got a taxi from pattaya to the airport a few months back and the driver said not to pay him inside the airport otherwise the redshirt thugs running the place would make trouble for him (not the police), he also said I am your friend and not taxi if anyone asks, I've used this company for years and hey are shit scared going near the airport

This is going on all over Thailand - This is red turf now pack your stuff and leave we will run things from now on

Rather amusing really, here we had a large construction project which was very prominent and in public view along Sukhumvit Road.

Said project caused a bottle neck or two but nobody from the Interior Ministry noticed it was an illegal development once test trains began to operate to test the signalling system and driver training etc. ?

Now if it had been a covert behind the walls project one could possibly excuse the Interior Ministry and its ignorance.

Perhaps the Interior Ministry was under the auspices of the exterior ministry at the time thus it (the Interior Ministry) was blinded to the fact of the construction which was ongoing for a few years, well I passed through the construction areas on Sukhumvit road a time or two whilst driving to work and from work and I certainly noticed the construction activities

I suppose the relevant official in the Interior Ministry never traveled along Sukhumvit road hence their ignorance as to the state of affairs.

Isn't the case about the concession to operate the BTS rather than the actual building of the new part? I presume the concession to operate could well be done behind closed doors, nothing about construction.

Nit picking and muckraking, the DSI seems to have lost it's way as an a-political organisation within the also supposedly a-political Police force, all this recent activity by the DSI seems more for the purpose of distracting the public attention away from the major issues, such as what is happening down south as well as what is happening with the rice pledging scheme.

Seems to be impossible to do something in an honest way in this country Academic including

What? These guys don't seem to have done much. You want to preach about honesty? UK MP expense cheating Siemens,HSBC give you no right wherever u come from

Edited January 16, 201313 yr by kruangfaifar