Stressing her 20-year untainted career in politics, Sudarat clarifies computer case

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Sudarat clarifies computer case
Olarn Lertrattanadamrongkul
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Stressing her 20-year untainted career in politics, former public health minister Sudarat Keyuraphan told a press conference yesterday that the ministry's purchase of an Bt821-million computer system was scrapped because the Comptroller-General's Department found it below standard.

A former minister had forced state officials to testify against her and this minister's audio clip of him persuading the officials was submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), she claimed. She was cleared by the Administrative Court's ruling in 2010 that the computer cancellation was for the civil service's benefit, she said. She would write a book about this case.

The NACC would decide tomorrow if Sudarat would be held responsible for alleged irregularities in the computer deal. The ruling was postponed from last week because Sudarat submitted new evidence. The Comptroller-General's Department cancelled the bid on grounds that the bidders offered products that didn't meet the specifications in terms of memory, speed and uninterruptible power supply, she said. The full budget was returned to the Finance Ministry with no damage to the state, she said.

After the 2006 coup, those in power claimed the project's cancellation was illegal and asked the NACC to probe it.

Three groups of people - including a former senior official - gave false testimony to the NACC so the officials accused along with her in this case sued them on May 1, leading to a court sentencing this perjuring former official to two months in jail, she said.


-- The Nation 2013-06-24

[NongKhaiKid]

I am not directing any comments against this lady specifically but I do believe it's a very risky business for anyone, especially a Thai politician, to bring good character into the public arena.

There's almost always somebody who knows a little something and when appropriate it gets leaked.

Self praise is no praise.

[jaidam]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

[soi41]

"Those in power claimed the cancellation was illegal, and asked the NACC to probe it"

So they are missing out on their brown envelopes, and are taking their grievances to (of all agencies) the anti corruption commission ??

You can say, what you want about Thai politics, but for entertainmentvalue it is 10 out of 10!!

[Bellweather]

I believe the lady and up to twenty other " innocents ' are to collaborate on a book about this.

Somehow i don't see it as a best seller as corruption stories are ten a penny here so little chance of a TV series or movie rights unless it also involves a ghost story.

[Katipo]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

It all depends on what you mean by untainted. Not letting the water out of the dams a little earlier in 2011 leading to the death of 700+ people and billions in losses might have been considered a bad decision, but there wasn't even anything that could be rightly called an investigation. 20 deaths and a few unhappy chicken farmers is... *ahem*, chicken feed by comparison.

No, I think what she means is that she hasn't been CAUGHT doing anything untoward.

[GentlemanJim]

I believe the lady and up to twenty other " innocents ' are to collaborate on a book about this.

Somehow i don't see it as a best seller as corruption stories are ten a penny here so little chance of a TV series or movie rights unless it also involves a ghost story.

Plus, due to the defamation laws in Thailand, the book would be full of lines like "I went for a meeting with a man who has the letter C and T in his initials and we were interrupted by a woman who has the letter Y in her name. Soon after CT said Y would organize another meeting with people whose children have the initials PH, DR and JW. We all met during a month with 31 days in it, in a Hotel that has a large flower vase in it's lobby'.

[Payboy]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

To her credit, without her we would've never guessed that Pattaya is completely prostitution free.

[TackyToo]

"20-year untainted career in politics..."

Is this lady extraordinary clever to be in this environment in LOS without getting caught for corruption, or is this just a coincidence?

[Bellweather]

I believe the lady and up to twenty other " innocents ' are to collaborate on a book about this.

Somehow i don't see it as a best seller as corruption stories are ten a penny here so little chance of a TV series or movie rights unless it also involves a ghost story.

Plus, due to the defamation laws in Thailand, the book would be full of lines like "I went for a meeting with a man who has the letter C and T in his initials and we were interrupted by a woman who has the letter Y in her name. Soon after CT said Y would organize another meeting with people whose children have the initials PH, DR and JW. We all met during a month with 31 days in it, in a Hotel that has a large flower vase in it's lobby'.

Great Post ! You should become her literary agent as you make it sound like a gripping " can't put it down " read.

[Bellweather]

Her book won't sell in Thailand unless it comes out in a " Kar tooon ' version.

[CHANGOVER]

Her book won't sell in Thailand unless it comes out in a " Kar tooon ' version.

Printed on 'scratch and sniff' paper.

[Bagwan]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

To her credit, without her we would've never guessed that Pattaya is completely prostitution free.

I think you are referring to an entirely different lady.

[mrtoad]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

It all depends on what you mean by untainted. Not letting the water out of the dams a little earlier in 2011 leading to the death of 700+ people and billions in losses might have been considered a bad decision, but there wasn't even anything that could be rightly called an investigation. 20 deaths and a few unhappy chicken farmers is... *ahem*, chicken feed by comparison.

No, I think what she means is that she hasn't been CAUGHT doing anything untoward.

In Thai politics, that would be untainted, compared to odious thugs and criminals like Chalerm and Thaksin.

[steveromagnino]

Oh! SNAP! I know this woman's work relating to computers quite well.

I fondly remember hearing about the RFP for the computer system to run her 30b healthcare scheme (I say her, because she took the credit for it andr rolled out the universal healthcare system without any real thought to how it would work long term, and which substantially favoured specific medicine distributors and totally distorted the healthcare market as well as not actually EVER costing 30b per person (people were expected to pay a fee to jump the queue a little)). This was a request for proposal when the entire system specs, objectives and way in which the computer system was supposed to run were not outlined, there were no objectives and there were no real details of how the entire scheme was to be managed.....but they were already asking for RFPs from computer software companies to decide how to run the scheme electronically. At the time some people reading it thought it was the most stupid and ill thought out RFP, but now of course, they know better, it was designed so only a few, or actually, one bidder(s) would meet the specs needed.

This was a summary of the issues with the system at the time, all of which were dismissed as the rantings of an EVIL NGO (all NGOS are evil, that was part of the TRT doctrine of 2002 onwards also known as "Thaksin cannot accept criticism"):

http://www.unescap.org/aphen/thailand_universal_coverage.htm

Oh the irony that her legacy as one of Thaksin's yes-women (alongside fraudster Jutamas the former governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand) would risk being damaged by computers.

Edited June 24, 2013 by steveromagnino

[Payboy]

Untainted career? I hardly call organizing a cover up of the bird flu virus that caused its unchecked spread and led to around 20 deaths as well as the ruining of the chicken farming industry in 2004 untainted.

To her credit, without her we would've never guessed that Pattaya is completely prostitution free.

I think you are referring to an entirely different lady.

Aren't they all clones?

[GarryP]

Her book won't sell in Thailand unless it comes out in a " Kar tooon ' version.

Printed on 'scratch and sniff' paper.

I can't see a book that smells like bullshit selling very well.

[ratcatcher]

Her book won't sell in Thailand unless it comes out in a " Kar tooon ' version.

That would be quite appropriate seeing as most of the people mentioned would be cartoon characters themselves.

[steveromagnino]

Perhaps there will also be an investigation into what role and why Khunying Sudarat has been alledgedly involved in meetings and strategy at state controlled publically listed company MCOT, specifically regarding what fees have been paid to her, given that she has publically stated she spends all her time in religious related acitivities.

One would hope she did not follow in the footsteps of other Thaksin accolytes such as Mingkwan and Jakapop who were alledgedly placed into MCOT and Channel 11 respectively, in order to influence and control the way in which media news was presented or even worse perhaps one might guess that an 'inside man' (difficult to apply the word man in the case of any of these 3 people really) might be needed in order to assist in handling the cash management aspects of the media business.

After all, one might be well aware that the Madam has ample experience in the media industry, having watched TV more than on one occasion, and therefore would be an ideal prospect to consult to MCOT during this period.

Completely changing the subject, skim is such a pejorative word isn't it. I prefer:

"unauthorised short term unaccounted for fees for various sundry items billed on a proportion of sales/revenue basis and subtracted from the cashflows of the enterprise for the purposes of funding other endeavours whose bank accounts and cashflow requirements present a more compelling case for use of funds with information regarding of which shall be disclosed on a need to know basis and will not be accounted for using GAAP principles"

And I must emphasise I am in no way implying that the definition of skim has anything to do with Khunying Sudarat I am merely adding this for the benefit of those who might misunderstand my use of the word skim in other unrelated posts.

Edited June 25, 2013 by steveromagnino