Both Sides To Blame In Police Building Fiasco: Thailand

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Both sides to blame in police building fiasco

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

If and when police and politicians start doing deals, taxpayers should brace for the worst in wasteful spending.

BANGKOK: -- After the 2007 general election, two successive governments under Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat hatched the idea to rebuild some 396 police stations nationwide.

newsjsThe plan was essentially a budgetary lollipop for the police in exchange for their loyalty to rein in street protests.

Late in 2008 the Democrats grabbed power via a vote in the House. They decided to implement the former government's plan because they also wanted the police on their side.

In 2009, the Abhisit Vejjajiva government approved a Bt6.6-billion budget for the rebuilding scheme.

Two national police chiefs, Patcharawat Wongsuwan and Prateep Tanprasert, and a myriad of panels vetted the spending outlay before drawing up terms of reference for awarding the contract.

Bangkok governor candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen, then serving in the police, recommended splitting the construction work into nine contracts, each of which would be supervised by the respective police regions.

But another police panel made a conflicting recommendation to centralise the contract. Right from the start, police were split on how to share the pie.

As its political overseer, the then deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban finally endorsed the single contract option to rebuild all 396 police stations.

Pratheep's successor, Wichean Potephosree was responsible for organising the e-auction and sealing the deal with the winning contractor.

The price tag was estimated at Bt5.8 billion and the deadline for the job was 450 days.

The construction work actually started in 2011, coinciding with the transition from the Abhisit government to the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.

For almost two years after Yingluck came to power, the government turned a blind eye to the lack of progress in construction work.

Wichean's successor, Priewpan Damapong, did nothing to speed up the construction. And Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung did not address the issue until a week ago.

Regardless of which party's in power, police and politicians had the audacity to make Bt1.5 billion in advance payments to the contractor without checking how much of the job was done.

Some 280 police stations are under construction, but work on the remaining 116 has not even started.

The construction delay has been blamed on a contractual loophole, which fails to set a deadline for police to vacate their respective stations to allow the contractor to start work.

Policemen at each station see the contractor as a cash dispenser in exchange for their cooperation to make the construction site available.

Despite the obvious construction fiasco, Chalerm and Priewpan jointly pushed to extend the construction deadline three times in order to keep a lid on the matter.

With the final deadline of March 14 approaching, the Pheu Thai Party has come up with a politically expedient solution.

The solution has two prongs - make the Democrats the fall guys for the scam in order to gain political mileage and call a new round of bidding - to throw more money and try to make up for the squandered funds.

Under Chalerm's pressure, police cancelled the contract last week paving a way for the new bidding. The main coalition party successfully petitioned the Department of Special Investigation to target Suthep and Abhisit for a probe.

Because all key players appear to have helped themselves to the same pie, it is extremely unlikely that the case will ever reach a stage where someone is prosecuted.

At the end of the day, taxpayers are the real victims who will pick up the tab incurred by police and politicians.

-- The Nation 2013-02-12

[OzMick]

With their handling of this matter, the reasons fro PTP's rush to implement mega-projects becomes much more understandable.

[EyesWideOpen]

More corruption.....Zzzzzzz..... Outright theft of public funds....Zzzzzzzzz Just another day in

the life here. But have to say , this zinger caught my eye.

"Policemen at each station see the contractor as a cash dispenser in exchange for their cooperation to make the construction site available"

This is certainly novel, extorting money from the contractor when he shows up for work....

Wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps that would explain why almost no work was done..

[dcutman]

At the end of the day, taxpayers are the real victims who will pick up the tab incurred by police and politicians.

This is the same that has happened in the past and will happen in the future. The only difference, in the future these criminal will be stealing from over Bt 2 trillion in borrowed money,

[dcutman]

More corruption.....Zzzzzzz..... Outright theft of public funds....Zzzzzzzzz Just another day in

the life here. But have to say , this zinger caught my eye.

"Policemen at each station see the contractor as a cash dispenser in exchange for their cooperation to make the construction site available"

This is certainly novel, extorting money from the contractor when he shows up for work....

Wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps that would explain why almost no work was done..

Excellent observation EWO. This might also explain why the contractor has no come forward to explain his side of it. The fear of being murdered by policemen has got to be very strong incentive to keeping lips tightly squeezed together.

[Siripon]

A truly frightening remark made over 40 years ago but still relevant today.

'There is nothing under the sun that the Thai police cannot do'.-Pao Sriyanond Director- General of Thai police in the 1950s.

[rubl]

Does the "both sides to blame" part suggest that this Police non-building will be gradually swept under the carpet and completely ignored by the end of this week ? If only as a kind of 'damage control'?

[arthurboy]

Corruption is simply a way of life here, and no one gives a toss.

No further comment necessary.

[EyesWideOpen]

A truly frightening remark made over 40 years ago but still relevant today.

'There is nothing under the sun that the Thai police cannot do'.-Pao Sriyanond Director- General of Thai police in the 1950s.

Phao looks to be a lovely guy........Appears he sort of charted the current path of operations for the Thai police. Does explain current state of affairs here. With a police history of assassination, it is no wonder politicians have little stomach for police reform..

From here. http://www.geocities...ngnoi2/phao.htm

"The achievements for which Phao and his police force have gone down in history are assassinating MPs and smuggling drugs."

Edited February 12, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[hellodolly]

Does the "both sides to blame" part suggest that this Police non-building will be gradually swept under the carpet and completely ignored by the end of this week ? If only as a kind of 'damage control'?

You are probably right it will be swept under the carpet. It is conceivable given the limited ability of the PT to pursue it. They accuse the Dems of corruption and then completely ignore the fact that twice they extended the time limit there by endorsing it. Smarts are not there long suit but they have enough I think to not shoot themselves in the foot.

The idea that the Dems could do any thing they want is an idea expounded on by the graduates of red shirt schools for democracy.

The reason I am responding here is because yes the Dems were guilty of corruption. How ever they did not have all the power that the PT has there were other players in the game some of them now supporting (even though the PT dosen't need it) the PT.

[Pib]

Policemen at each station see the contractor as a cash dispenser in exchange for their cooperation to make the construction site available.

Seems govt contracts all to often turn into cash dispenser machines for so many people....and the machine don't even require insertion of a card to authorize, track how much, or log who gets the money. Maybe it's just stimulus spending (it sure turns on those who get the money).

[MrSlatersParrot]

"Bangkok governor candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen, then serving in the police, recommended splitting the construction work into nine contracts, each of which would be supervised by the respective police regions.

But another police panel made a conflicting recommendation to centralise the contract. Right from the start, police were split on how to share the pie.

As its political overseer, the then deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban finally endorsed the single contract option to rebuild all 396 police stations."

[dcutman]

Both sides to blame in police building fiasco

I dont see how the columnist came up with this heading.

The construction work actually started in 2011, coinciding with the transition from the Abhisit government to the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.

For almost two years after Yingluck came to power, the government turned a blind eye to the lack of progress in construction work.

Despite the obvious construction fiasco, Chalerm and Priewpan jointly pushed to extend the construction deadline three times in order to keep a lid on the matter.

Wichean's successor, Priewpan Damapong, did nothing to speed up the construction. And Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung did not address the issue until a week ago

Does this not say it all? How exactly can the Dems be responsible for this in any way. I understand there where ulterior motivations, but still the present govt had responsibility to ensure proper management and scheduling to bring the project to a successful turnover.

[vijer]

If and when police and politicians start doing deals, taxpayers should brace for the worst in wasteful spending.

Outright stealing doesn't fit the definition of wasteful spending.

[xkmasada]

9 auctions, and all of them won by the same company LOL

Look into who is behind that company, and your eyes will be open but your mouth will close shut. Hint: it's not who you might think!

[Thai at Heart]

What does a policeman know about awarding construction contracts?

[waza]

So Patcharawat Wongsuwan doesnt need to front up to the DSI in person, but Abhist does?

Former police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan reported to the Department of Special Investigation but by proxy. Pol Maj-Gen Puwadol Wuthakanok reported to the DSI's corruption and suppression centre, with a letter of attorney from Pol Gen Patcharawat.

[waza]

9 auctions, and all of them won by the same company LOL

Look into who is behind that company, and your eyes will be open but your mouth will close shut. Hint: it's not who you might think!

Its a Chang Mai company with a silent partner. The DSI shouldn't be following red herrings it should be following the money. But a political puppet can only follow its strings.

Edited February 12, 2013 by waza

[EyesWideOpen]

9 auctions, and all of them won by the same company LOL

Look into who is behind that company, and your eyes will be open but your mouth will close shut. Hint: it's not who you might think!

Now you have me curious. Who is behind the company? Not really name and shame, as I am fairly sure with a fair amount of digging that this information should be a matter of public record.

[dcutman]

9 auctions, and all of them won by the same company LOL

Look into who is behind that company, and your eyes will be open but your mouth will close shut. Hint: it's not who you might think!

Now you have me curious. Who is behind the company? Not really name and shame, as I am fairly sure with a fair amount of digging that this information should be a matter of public record.

Piboon Udomsithikul is registered as president of PCC and his relative, Wisanu Wisetsing, is an executive of the company, Mr Thanin said. He strongly believes there is an influential figure behind them who is actually pulling the strings but is not listed as a shareholder of the company.

http://en.isnhotnews.com/?tag=dsi

Edited February 13, 2013 by dcutman

[MrSlatersParrot]

I notice they have a picture of Newin without mentioning him in the article

[dcutman]

I notice they have a picture of Newin without mentioning him in the article

Newins father in law owns a construction company in Chiang Mai, and this from a blog in the other paper. " my wife says that PCC is Newin Chidchob's father's construction company".