Fraud charges dropped against firm hired to build Thai police stations

[webfact]

Fraud charges dropped against firm hired to build police stations
Kesinee Taengkhiao
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A firm that failed to construct new police-station facilities under a government project will not be facing criminal charges, if the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) does not object to the public prosecutors' decision.

A highly-placed source at the Office of the Attorney General said yesterday that the office's Department of Special Litigation had decided not to pursue the criminal case against PCC Development and Construction Co Ltd and its executives.

"According to the office, there is no evidence of bidding collusion. The successful bid price is not too low," the source said.

The source added that PCC Development and Construction was also found to have strictly complied with bidding regulations and had entered various rounds of bidding before finally winning the project.

The Department of Special Litigation chief also found that the firm's failure to pay its sub-contractors only constituted a civil offence, the source said.

"It doesn't qualify as fraud because there is no evidence that the PCC intended not to pay. It has handled many big projects before," the source said, "This case has more to do with a breach of contracts."

Nantasak Poolsak, the incoming chief of the Department of Special Litigation, yesterday refused to comment on the case.

"I've just taken up this post and have not yet seen the investigation report," he said.

The DSI previously found PCC Development and Construction guilty of fraud and bidding collusion.

If the DSI does not agree with the Department of Special Litigation's decision, it will have to appeal to the Attorney General.


-- The Nation 2013-10-15

[RickeyParkany]

** It doesn't qualify as fraud because there is no evidence that the PCC intended not to pay. It has handled many big projects before," the source said, "This case has more to do with a breach of contracts." **

...and, since it is a government contract...ahem ...will they seek to enforce the contract? *A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse!* ;-} rap.

[soi41]

So stealing, cheating and lying is just normal procedure, when doing business in Thailand??

Oh, I forgot they are family !

[NongKhaiKid]

Too murky to be continued with ?

[Noistar]

Does it just seem to be a conveyor belt of criminal charges being dropped? Next case please

[angsta]

Surely this is from Not The Nation?

Comedy gold.

[A1Str8]

Why the hell would they pursue the criminal case when it was just another scheme to steal millions by high ranking sluts who are supposed to get away with it.

[waza]

Tarit from the DSI was all hot about this fraud case when he thought he could pin it on the Dems...

"Tarit said the project was a serious crime with premeditated plotting and abuse of authority, and that DSI investigators would next week summon former national police chiefs General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, General Prateep Tanprasert and General Wichean Potephosree and later Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban."

But then.......

The police-station construction fiasco is back in the limelight as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced last week that it was launching a graft probe into the issue. The commission has set up a committee led by Commissioner Wicha Mahakun to look into dealings involving five individuals, including then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban. The case was previously handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which comes under state jurisdiction, and many said the government was using it to attack the opposition - mainly the Democrats"

The finger of blame started to point at several Thaksin proxy administrations and the beloved BIB, so now its all good, no fraud to see here.

[LuckyLew]

So where is the money for the new police stations?

[EyesWideOpen]

Must be pretty cool to be a high ranking government official, or a well placed connected businessman here in Thailand. Because it seems

that no matter what you do in terms of corruption, even when you are caught nothing will ever happen to you as far as legal punishment.

Wait a minute .......... I just had a flash of insight . Maybe that is why there is so much corruption here !!!!! With so many people stealing

from the government, it certainly must be hard for one group of thieves to be pointing the finger of blame at another group of thieves...

[smedly]

so next question, have they accounted for all the money that was already spent on this project that PCC didn't receive - most likely the reason the work came to a halt - I think we can assume this investigation came to an abrupt ending when the missing money trail was leading elseware

[TomTao]

Does it just seem to be a conveyor belt of criminal charges being dropped? Next case please

When will the office get around to the charges against the oppostion leader and any others that are facing charges that may be seen as politically motivated?

[fab4]

so next question, have they accounted for all the money that was already spent on this project that PCC didn't receive - most likely the reason the work came to a halt - I think we can assume this investigation came to an abrupt ending when the missing money trail was leading elseware

PCC have received approx 1.5billion baht which equals what they say they have paid out on work completed. The 5. 85 billion baht contract was then cancelled by the police who were concerned with the "slow pace of building"

"Police spokesman Piya Uthayo said the bureau had the right to cancel the contract because the police logistics office and regional committees had reported that the contractor had failed to meet the completion deadline."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-cancel-contract-with-PCC-30204203.html

The PCC are now looking to sue the police for cancelling the contract, the Civil case that is mentioned by the DSI.

"Pol Lt-Colonel Santana Prayoonrat, adviser to PCC Development and Construction executive Pibul Udomsithikul, said the company would sue the Royal Thai Police if the agency cancelled the Bt5.848-billion contract for the building of 396 police stations nationwide."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

The PCC hasn't drawn down any more money from the contract:

At a press conference held at the St Regis Hotel in Bangkok, Santhana said the public had not learned all the facts about the case as some information had not been revealed.

He said, for example, that the firm had drawn down Bt1.532 billion to cover construction costs, which was about 26 per cent of the budget, and most of it (25 per cent of the full budget) had been allocated to construction in the regions.

Hence, the amount of work already done was equal to the amount of money the firm had already received.

The company had also had to use money from its own pockets to get parts of the project done, hence the RTP also owed it at least Bt73 million. Some 73.8 per cent of the project budget, or about Bt4.3 billion, has not yet been touched, he added.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

So now we know where the money is. Sorry to disappoint those posters determined to find corruption at every corner. Though I'm sure you'll find some way that the Shinawatra family and the PTP will spirit the 4.3 billion baht away and hope that nobody notices 396 missing police stations

Edited October 15, 2013 by fab4

[waza]

so next question, have they accounted for all the money that was already spent on this project that PCC didn't receive - most likely the reason the work came to a halt - I think we can assume this investigation came to an abrupt ending when the missing money trail was leading elseware

PCC have received approx 1.5billion baht which equals what they say they have paid out on work completed. The 5. 85 billion baht contract was then cancelled by the police who were concerned with the "slow pace of building"

"Police spokesman Piya Uthayo said the bureau had the right to cancel the contract because the police logistics office and regional committees had reported that the contractor had failed to meet the completion deadline."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-cancel-contract-with-PCC-30204203.html

The PCC are now looking to sue the police for cancelling the contract, the Civil case that is mentioned by the DSI.

"Pol Lt-Colonel Santana Prayoonrat, adviser to PCC Development and Construction executive Pibul Udomsithikul, said the company would sue the Royal Thai Police if the agency cancelled the Bt5.848-billion contract for the building of 396 police stations nationwide."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

The PCC hasn't drawn down any more money from the contract:

At a press conference held at the St Regis Hotel in Bangkok, Santhana said the public had not learned all the facts about the case as some information had not been revealed.

He said, for example, that the firm had drawn down Bt1.532 billion to cover construction costs, which was about 26 per cent of the budget, and most of it (25 per cent of the full budget) had been allocated to construction in the regions.

Hence, the amount of work already done was equal to the amount of money the firm had already received.

The company had also had to use money from its own pockets to get parts of the project done, hence the RTP also owed it at least Bt73 million. Some 73.8 per cent of the project budget, or about Bt4.3 billion, has not yet been touched, he added.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

So now we know where the money is. Sorry to disappoint those posters determined to find corruption at every corner. Though I'm sure you'll find some way that the Shinawatra family and the PTP will spirit the 4.3 billion baht away and hope that nobody notices 396 missing police stations

So it wasnt Abihist and Suthep like Thaksins lap dog Tarit claimed

[smedly]

so next question, have they accounted for all the money that was already spent on this project that PCC didn't receive - most likely the reason the work came to a halt - I think we can assume this investigation came to an abrupt ending when the missing money trail was leading elseware

PCC have received approx 1.5billion baht which equals what they say they have paid out on work completed. The 5. 85 billion baht contract was then cancelled by the police who were concerned with the "slow pace of building"

"Police spokesman Piya Uthayo said the bureau had the right to cancel the contract because the police logistics office and regional committees had reported that the contractor had failed to meet the completion deadline."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-cancel-contract-with-PCC-30204203.html

The PCC are now looking to sue the police for cancelling the contract, the Civil case that is mentioned by the DSI.

"Pol Lt-Colonel Santana Prayoonrat, adviser to PCC Development and Construction executive Pibul Udomsithikul, said the company would sue the Royal Thai Police if the agency cancelled the Bt5.848-billion contract for the building of 396 police stations nationwide."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

The PCC hasn't drawn down any more money from the contract:

At a press conference held at the St Regis Hotel in Bangkok, Santhana said the public had not learned all the facts about the case as some information had not been revealed.

He said, for example, that the firm had drawn down Bt1.532 billion to cover construction costs, which was about 26 per cent of the budget, and most of it (25 per cent of the full budget) had been allocated to construction in the regions.

Hence, the amount of work already done was equal to the amount of money the firm had already received.

The company had also had to use money from its own pockets to get parts of the project done, hence the RTP also owed it at least Bt73 million. Some 73.8 per cent of the project budget, or about Bt4.3 billion, has not yet been touched, he added.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PCC-to-sue-police-if-Bt5-8-bn-contract-cancelled-30204087.html

So now we know where the money is. Sorry to disappoint those posters determined to find corruption at every corner. Though I'm sure you'll find some way that the Shinawatra family and the PTP will spirit the 4.3 billion baht away and hope that nobody notices 396 missing police stations

what you are saying is fair enough if you actually could believe any of it

[tragickingdom]

It might not have intended not to pay, but they knew they could only pay Suthep when they got the contract. It is as good as the Bangkok hopewell contract that the DP people awarded.

[billd766]

It might not have intended not to pay, but they knew they could only pay Suthep when they got the contract. It is as good as the Bangkok hopewell contract that the DP people awarded.

If you had done a little research you would have found that the Hopewell project was started in 1990

Wikipedia ref http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Elevated_Road_and_Train_System

If you then did a Google search for Prime Ministers of Thailand from 1932, also on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_Thailand

You would have found that the PM at the time was General Chatichai Choonhavan of the Chart Thai Party and sadly for you the Democrats were not elected until September 1992 nearly 2 years after the project had started.

So your hypotheses that it was the Democrats is up (or is it down) to your usual abysmal lack of not always knowing what you are talking about.

By the way do you have any ACTUAL concrete proof that Suthep was to be the beneficiary of a bribe?

Or was it yet another page from the Red Shirts little book of lies to be repeated ad nauseam until somebody believes them?

Edited October 15, 2013 by billd766

[Baerboxer]

This is the second high profile case that the AG have decided not to proceed and prosecute contrary to DSI recommendations.

Can the DSI boss be "shuffled" out in the next round of moving chairs?

[Ulic]

Was there ever a doubt to the outcome.

[RubbaJohnny]

I think 'the envelope' would be too heavy for our postman on a 125cc,maybe this accounts for the rd closures for 'special delivery'

Federal Excess or TNT Lao tekhun?

[Ricardo]

They're all jolly good chaps, and obviously innocent, the failure to deliver the project on-time clearly makes them ideal, for building the new high-speed rail-system, brown-envelopes all round !

[Robby nz]

Tarit from the DSI was all hot about this fraud case when he thought he could pin it on the Dems...

"Tarit said the project was a serious crime with premeditated plotting and abuse of authority, and that DSI investigators would next week summon former national police chiefs General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, General Prateep Tanprasert and General Wichean Potephosree and later Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban."

But then.......

The police-station construction fiasco is back in the limelight as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced last week that it was launching a graft probe into the issue. The commission has set up a committee led by Commissioner Wicha Mahakun to look into dealings involving five individuals, including then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban. The case was previously handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which comes under state jurisdiction, and many said the government was using it to attack the opposition - mainly the Democrats"

The finger of blame started to point at several Thaksin proxy administrations and the beloved BIB, so now its all good, no fraud to see here.

Dead right on that one Waza.

There is also the fact that the failed PT candidate for the BKK mayor job was a key player on the committee that awarded the contract.

He tried to worm out of any responsibility but the committee makeup was well documented.

[marcusd]

So where is the money for the new police stations?

 

Milan.....

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[marcusd]

So where is the money for the new police stations?

 

Milan.....

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[Noistar]

Tarit from the DSI was all hot about this fraud case when he thought he could pin it on the Dems...

"Tarit said the project was a serious crime with premeditated plotting and abuse of authority, and that DSI investigators would next week summon former national police chiefs General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, General Prateep Tanprasert and General Wichean Potephosree and later Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban."

But then.......

The police-station construction fiasco is back in the limelight as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced last week that it was launching a graft probe into the issue. The commission has set up a committee led by Commissioner Wicha Mahakun to look into dealings involving five individuals, including then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban. The case was previously handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which comes under state jurisdiction, and many said the government was using it to attack the opposition - mainly the Democrats"

The finger of blame started to point at several Thaksin proxy administrations and the beloved BIB, so now its all good, no fraud to see here.

See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil.

No probs

[billd766]

Tarit from the DSI was all hot about this fraud case when he thought he could pin it on the Dems...

"Tarit said the project was a serious crime with premeditated plotting and abuse of authority, and that DSI investigators would next week summon former national police chiefs General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, General Prateep Tanprasert and General Wichean Potephosree and later Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban."

But then.......

The police-station construction fiasco is back in the limelight as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced last week that it was launching a graft probe into the issue. The commission has set up a committee led by Commissioner Wicha Mahakun to look into dealings involving five individuals, including then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban. The case was previously handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which comes under state jurisdiction, and many said the government was using it to attack the opposition - mainly the Democrats"

The finger of blame started to point at several Thaksin proxy administrations and the beloved BIB, so now its all good, no fraud to see here.

See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil.

No probs

Unless of course it is the Democrats you are talking about.