Thai G P O Agrees To Fire Managing Director For Negligence

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DRUG PLANTS
GPO agrees to fire managing director for negligence
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

Irregularities over procurements, delays in plant construction cited

BANGKOK: -- The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation's executive board yesterday agreed to fire managing director Witit Artavatkun for negligence.

Dr Pipat Yingseri, chairman of the board, said it had met to discuss irregularities in the purchasing and procurement of raw materials to make paracetamol, and delays in the construction of an influenza-vaccine plant and an HIV/Aids drug plant.

All 14 board members agreed that Witit should be fired immediately as he had failed to prevent the irregularities in buying the ingredients to produce paracetamol.

Dr Niphon Phopattanachai, chairman of the GPO's investigative committee for the purchasing and procurement of raw material to produce paracetamol, said its regulations were not complied with.

Furthermore, the GPO had imported the raw materials without a plan to produce paracetamol, as at that time the construction of its plant was not finished.

Meanwhile, Dr Somchai Nitpanich, who chairs another investigative committee on the flu-vaccine plant, said Witit failed to control the delay in the construction of the Bt1.4-billion plant in Saraburi province.

The plant was due to be completed in 2011, but is still unfinished.

Concerns were also raised about the construction of an HIV/Aids drug plant in Pathum Thani that has still not been completed.

Pipat said he would ask the Cabinet to consider removing Witit from his position as soon as possible.

Temporary replacement

The GPO's executive board has designated Pissamorn Klinsuwan as acting director, from yesterday.

"Witit breached the employment contract with the GPO by his negligence, which caused damage for the GPO.

He did not use his capacity enough to prevent the damage," Pipat told a press conference after the three-hour meeting of the executive board.

Meanwhile, Witit said he would consult with his legal team to prove his innocence before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) concluded its probe into the GPO's construction of the flu-vaccine plant in Saraburi on Thursday, and found that Witit had breached a number of laws.

The DSI said it would send its findings to the NACC for further investigation.


-- The Nation 2013-05-18

[MESmith]

Fire????

No inactive post? Poor fella, just ain't fair

[BrianCR]

Must be a big headache for him... luckily he has lots of paracetamol!

[Sing_Sling]

Fire????

No inactive post? Poor fella, just ain't fair

I wonder what makes him different from all the other corrupt mongrels . . . getting special treatment like this

Must be a big headache for him... luckily he has lots of paracetamol!

Nope, the plant has never been completed to make the tabs . . . big headache is right, but then I'm sure he made lots under the table so can afford to buy the odd panadol

[Tropicalevo]

Must be a big headache for him... luckily he has lots of paracetamol!

That's not going to help him - they are fake

[Thaddeus]

Must be a big headache for him... luckily he has lots of paracetamol!

That's not going to help him - they are fake

So, he has managed to make in inactive pill for himself.

[axact]

Its a bitter pill for him to swallow ...lol

Interesting that when the police stations didnt get built on schedule it was the builders fault.

Edited May 18, 2013 by axact

[GentlemanJim]

It makes me wonder what 14 Board members have been doing to allow an MD to be up to two years behind with major projects that would require huge capital input. There are a lot of stories around today and yesterday that should have 'scapegoat' written in capital letters as a common theme amongst them. I think the board of 14 are sacking the wrong person, there should be 14 more heads up for consideration, in particular the Chairman of the board!

Edited May 18, 2013 by GentlemanJim

[monty1412]

Its a bitter pill for him to swallow ...lol

Interesting that when the police stations didnt get built on schedule it was the builders fault.

Axact, its a very valid point..... of course the difference is that its incredibly hard in Thaialnd to charge a member of the BIB for negligence.....akin to accusing water of being liquid I feel.

[NeverSure]

Don't blame the board for not knowing what was happening for two years. They learned about it in the newspaper the same time you did.

[waza]

"The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has rushed its investigation into allegations of corruption in the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation's excessive purchases and stockpile of paracetamol tablets without hearing statements from the accused parties, GPO director Witit Artavatkun said yesterday."

Theres an interesting article in another paper stating that Witit Artavatkun has already been investigated by the Food and Drug Administration who found he was innocent of any wrong doings, but the GPO wasn't satisfied and conducted its own witch hunt with help.

"Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawa-narong, who raised the issue with [Tarit of] the DSI, said Witit's apprehensions of losing face in the eyes of the public as a result of the DSI probe would become inexcusable if the NACC indicted him."

It if further suggested that Witit was standing in the way of foreign private drug manufacturers supplying state hospitals. The list of this fellows achievements are staggering, he has served the Thai people with distinction, but he is standing in the way of corruption so he has to go.

"The Senate panel on anti-corruption affairs and good governance has received a petition by 17 of GPO's union members complaining about Pradit raising the issue without seeking internal scrutiny and a subsequent criminal probe by the DSI."

Another victim of Thaksin's attack dog Tarit

"As soon as she [Yingluck] took over as premier, Tarit was clever enough to cut down the number of political cases in his hand from the 281 he had in 2010 during Abhisit Vejjajiva's time to 48 cases last year and to just four cases this year. He chose to drop several cases against members of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the red shirts. In fact, even Yingluck benefited as Tarit chose to drop her asset concealment case."

I guess the moral of the story is don't get between a dog and its bone, red democracy.

Edited May 18, 2013 by waza