Contractor Denies Fraud In Bt3Bn Thai Police Projects

[webfact]

FRAUD
Contractor denies fraud in Bt3-bn police projects
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In its first statement to criminal investigators, construction company PCC Development and Construction has dismissed two charges of fraud and violation of a law against rigging of bids for government projects, a senior Department of Special Investigation official said yesterday.

The three executives representing the firm said subcontracting the projects to others, which was prohibited in the deal with the Royal Thai Police, was not an act of fraud. It was merely deployment of other constructors to handle the projects.

"The RTP had been notified of this all along," said Phibool Udonitthikul, to reporters after completing three-hour hearing.

The two charges have embroiled PCC in civil proceedings stemming from the delay in the police accommodation projects at 396 police stations across the country The contract is worth more than Bt3 billion.

But the case has also been linked politically to Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and executive Suthep Thaugsuban, who were in charge of it when in power during the previous government.

Phibool said he would make a further statement on the rigging allegations in the next session, because documents to clarify their defence were not ready for presentation to the DSI. The firm has also been accused of securing the project by tabling an unusually-low bid, below the median price.

He repeated his claims that the delay in the work resulted directly from the RTP’s own belated handing over of project sites to PCC. Phibool said the 40-year-old company had 12 affiliates worth up to Bt5 billion. The nonpayment of the money to other constructors was because it could not claim the money from the RTP while it was undergoing reshuffles of officers during the transfer season last September.

Phibool said if the RTP extended the contract for another six months, more than 100 projects could be completed. He also claimed that much-delayed dismantling of old police accommodation was the responsibility of RTP and dismantlers - not PCC’s.

DSI senior interrogator Thawal Mangkhang said more than 100 project sites had been handed to PCC, but the remainder, numbering about 200, had not been. "The company could not answer why the work at the 100 sites has not been completed," he said.

At press time yesterday evening, Thawal said he would propose a freezing of Bt400 million belonging to PCC in an account at a bank in Chiang Mai, where the company was based, during the ongoing DSI investigation. The money-freezing must be approved by DSI director-general Tharit Phengdit.


-- The Nation 2013-03-08

[kurnell]

Has a Thai ever admitted to a wrong? "Yes, I was leathered when I ran into that cop in my Ferrari and I deserve to go to gaol officer!". "I am a spolied brat and was completely outa control when I ploughed my car into that crowd and I want to serve my time, as I took the life of an innocent!"

[chainarong]

Show me the money fella"s, give me the figures ,where what went when and where and when, try saying that fast at two am .

[Robby nz]

Someone must be getting a bit nervous this is starting to point more and more to the police rather than the targets Abhisit and Suthep.

[phuketsub]

I suspect this one to go the same way as the investigation, called for by 13 embassies, to explain what happened to all the millions they donated to the tsunami victim identification process

[Tatsujin]

He said, she said . . . the games continue . . .

[jbrain]

Dear Contractor, did you defraud in the contract of the police station construction.

Noooo, I didn't do anything wrong.

See it are the Democrats

[SOTIRIOS]

..sounds like 'the new guys' want to get their hands in this..........and 'do it right'.......

.....sickening.....

[quandow]

No WAY are you going to mix Thai police and that much money together and NOT have some monkey business.

[GentlemanJim]

At press time yesterday evening, Thawal said he would propose a freezing of Bt400 million belonging to PCC in an account at a bank in Chiang Mai, where the company was based, during the ongoing DSI investigation. The money-freezing must be approved by DSI director-general Tharit Phengdit.

One would have thought that to freeze such assets the permission of a court would be required, not the permission of a policeman. I wonder what commission will be charged for the 'unfreezing' of funds !

[rbrooks]

Thai contractor denying fraud, rigging of bids for government projects? Huh? A bit of an oxy moron going on here? I always thought Thai and corruption kind of go hand in hand, no pun intended.

[GentlemanJim]

Well I think the contract is absolutely astounding value. 396 Police stations nation wide for 3 Billion Baht, an amount that compared to other things currently ongoing is a splash on a drop in the ocean. 3 Billion for all those Police stations, that no doubt will last 20 yrs or so and yet each month the Government is pouring 23 Billion down the toilet in storage fees for rice, with absolutely zero transparency as to where the money is actually going, and DSI want to pursue fraud charges on a 3 billion contract! Hell that is only 3.5 - 4 DAYS worth of Rice storage costs. Strange they want to pursue this small contract..but then again they could implicate a Dem, and the 23 Billion per MONTH that is currently disappearing involves....PTP. It's a no brainer then!

[rubl]

So, any details on the various cheques the RTPO wrote out for PCC? Simple things like date on the cheque, amount, who cashed it.

With these details registered and stored for 10 years because of BoT regulations and a few laws, even if people have to search through paper output, an answers should be possible within the next few years