Former Thai army chief assures of clean and clear construction donation

[webfact]

VIDEO : Former army chief assures of clean and clear construction donation



BANGKOK: -- Deputy defence minister Gen Udomdej Sitabutr assured of clean and clear construction of the Ratchabhakdi historic park saying all steps could be clarified and were transparent.

Assurance from the former army chief came amid speculation that part of the donations used in the construction of the park was raised by a gang in which a handful of military officers were involved.

Gen Udomdej admitted there had been report of certain people demanding funds from moulding factories but this had been resolved and halted.

There was such practice in the procedure but after “we learned of it, we intervened and resolved it.”

He said now as all these factories had understood that these people were just opportunists.

Every step could be clarified as there are several working committees in charge of each area of responsibility, he said and urged that such criticism should stop now as it could hurt the faith of donators.

He further explained that the construction of the park was managed by the foundation which was set up by the army to relieve its workloads.

The foundation is chaired by the Army chief by position, he said and added that the chairmanship of the foundation will be passed onto the new army chief to take care of.

Meanwhile Defence minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan also assurred of the good intention of the former army chief and was certain he could clarify all the construction process if investigation is held.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/video-former-army-chief-assures-of-clean-and-clear-construction-donation


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-10

[zaphod reborn]

So, you put a stop to this one tiny instance of extortion. How about ending all requests for "donations" being made by government agencies? I worked for a factory that was inundated with requests for these donations - they came from the judiciary, the Ministry of Labor, from DBD, from MOE, from social security. Every government agency is up to their heads in extorting donations, and businesses feel compelled to make the donations for fear that failing to do so will result in deprivation of essential government services. They give good competition to the RTP in looking for handouts.

[WhizBang]

So, anyone expect him to say anything else? It is always transparant and completely above board, until found otherwise.

[phoenixdoglover]

Mom: Billy! What are you doing with your hand in the cookie jar!

Billy: There was a fly in the jar. I was just getting it out.

Mom: Where is that fly? I don't see it.

Billy: It flew away just before you came in.

Mom: Now Billy, are you making up stories again?

Billy: Awwwwhhhh, Mom. You never believe me.

[Eric Loh]

Shouldn't these opportunists that broke the law and asked for donation be arrested or hauled up for questioning. They should provide the answers and clear the air. More will believe that than what the former army chief said.

[callaway]

"He said now as all these factories had understood that these people were just opportunists". No they are not. They are blackmailing, corrupt ##sholes who deserved to to be charged with corruption. They charged that bloke the other day for a 30,000 bribe so whats the difference here. Oh I forgot. These men wear camo green. Silly me

[hutchings1963]

April the 1st again

[bangkokfrog]

He doesn't look happy in the photo... more like a dummy from Madame Tussauds. And that is exactly what he must think the public are if he expects them to believe these "assurances".

[toybits]

"Gen Udomdej admitted there had been report of certain people demanding funds from moulding factories but this had been resolved and halted."

So there WAS Truth to the report that certain people were asking for kickback. Otherwise there would have been NOTHING to resolve and halt.

[soalbundy]

He is keeping his mouth tightly closed so that you cant see him lying through his teeth

[smutcakes]

"Gen Udomdej admitted there had been report of certain people demanding funds from moulding factories but this had been resolved and halted."

So there WAS Truth to the report that certain people were asking for kickback. Otherwise there would have been NOTHING to resolve and halt.

Not that i believe him that anything was resolved/halted or even looked into, but hopefully someone will challenge him to hand over the police report that he must have filed when they established/resolved and halted extortion going on?

As if.........Completely unaccountable and untouchable.

Surely as per the other suspects, well whats left of them, the people involved will have been arrested on LM charges i presume?

[waldroj]

Every step could be clarified as there are several working committees in charge of each area of responsibility.

Not clear to me! Is that several committees for each area, or one committee for each of the areas? One hopes it's the latter, but you never know.

Meanwhile Defence Minister assurred (sic) of the good intention of the former army chief (somebody should tell him the road to hell is paved with good intentions).

[cobbler]

Yawwwwwn hmmmmmmm must have many farang married to issaaaaan girls on this thread. As its all redshirt type words. BWHHHHHHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA. THEY forget thailand has many other areas with different opinions goodnight

[gchurch259]

There are so many negative post these days about the PM, Coup and almost everything ! If I was an Expat and the unhappy here I would pack my duffle and shpw my Donkey to Costoms and go. By the way, I am an expat who is glad to see someone trying to clean up the many, many years of corruption that has become a Cancer in Thailand.

If you are a Thai and sat on your hands all these years and kept the same corrupt people in power, then you are part of the problem.

Let the General/PM keep flushing the devise until the water is clear, and if you can not handle it get your Donkey out of Dodge !!

[kareona]

Asking for donations for building the Rachaphakde ('Loyalty to the King') Park by the good general was exactly the same as asking for money for 'Bike for Mom' and 'Bike for Dad' manifestations by the three accused of which two died. Why then were this three accused of lese majeste and general Udomdej not?

[BigBadGeordie]

There are so many negative post these days about the PM, Coup and almost everything ! If I was an Expat and the unhappy here I would pack my duffle and shpw my Donkey to Costoms and go. By the way, I am an expat who is glad to see someone trying to clean up the many, many years of corruption that has become a Cancer in Thailand.

If you are a Thai and sat on your hands all these years and kept the same corrupt people in power, then you are part of the problem.

Let the General/PM keep flushing the devise until the water is clear, and if you can not handle it get your Donkey out of Dodge !!

And meanwhile in the real world???????

[JAG]

Glad too see that it's all sorted, obviously any fears were groundless. Good oh...

[Calimotty]

Yawwwwwn hmmmmmmm must have many farang married to issaaaaan girls on this thread. As its all redshirt type words. BWHHHHHHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA. THEY forget thailand has many other areas with different opinions goodnight

Living in the past.

[z42]

And people should believe this explanation because???????

[Trouble]

"He further explained that the construction of the park was managed by the foundation which was set up by the army to relieve its workloads."

So they set up a foundation to hustle the donations which somehow relieved the army of its workloads. Brilliant!

[Denim]

Yawwwwwn hmmmmmmm must have many farang married to issaaaaan girls on this thread. As its all redshirt type words. BWHHHHHHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA. THEY forget thailand has many other areas with different opinions goodnight

Yawn ........ another yellow shirt / military apologist who believes corruption and nepotism are perfectly acceptable provided the recipients are in the clique that disposed the previous government.

[Thai at Heart]

In my corruption training, the very word "donation" was highlighted as a solicitation for illegal funds. So now Thailand has legal illegal demands for money.

[phoenixdoglover]

In my corruption training, the very word "donation" was highlighted as a solicitation for illegal funds. So now Thailand has legal illegal demands for money.

Yup. As a US citizen, I am advised to never make a donation to any foreign government entity or employee. Even without any "quid pro quo", this can be considered a bribe.

[webfact]

RAJABHAKTI PARK
Probe into Army park
THE NATION



Irregularities at Rajabhakti Park dealt with, General Udomdej says

BANGKOK: -- IRREGULARITIES in the Rajabhakti Park project have been dealt with and can be explained, Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr said yesterday.

"All panels involved are ready to answer all questions," Udomdej said in his capacity as chair of the Rajabhakti Park Foundation and former Army chief.

Udomdej spoke up after deputy police spokesman Maj-General Piyaphan Pingmuang told media on Monday that an investigation was ongoing to determine whether Pol Colonel Kachachart Boondee, who is facing an arrest warrant over lese majeste charges, was involved in alleged irregularities in the Rajabhakti Park project.

Rajabhakti Park, in Hua Hin, has emerged as an important landmark. Officially launched in late September, it features giant statues of seven former Thai kings.

The Army spent about Bt1 billion in developing the park, which also includes a multi-purpose plaza and a museum about Thai kings.

A source at the National Anti-Corruption Commission said yesterday it was unlikely to look into alleged irregularities at Rajabhakti Park because it did not involve state funding. "The project was funded by donations," the source said.

Udomdej said yesterday that the project started off with the intention of creating a facility for Thais to use.

"In the beginning, there was a committee in charge of this project," he explained.

According to Udomdej, Deputy Education Minister Lt-General Surachet Chaiwong headed the committee at that time. It set up several panels to help with its work.

Udomdej admitted some problems had emerged during implementation of the project, but insisted yesterday that they had already been resolved. "All panels are ready to provide explanations to relevant officials," he said.

He said the Rajabhakti Park Foundation was established only recently and he was its ex-officio chairman. "The management of the foundation is in transition. I am in the process of passing on the post and job responsibility at the foundation to the new Army chief."

Asked about reports that a famous amulet expert had sought kickbacks from foundries working on the project, Udomdej said officials had heard about the problem and had intervened.

Udomdej suggested that after the "intervention", the foundries had turned the kickbacks into donations. "I don't know the exact details. But definitely the Army's Finance Department has all the records."

He refused to comment on Kachachart, a staff officer with the Third Army region, who had stopped coming to work in the wake of a high-profile lese majeste case involving Suriyan Sujaritpolwong.

Asked about Kachachart, Udomdej said: "Don't talk about him here. Investigation against him has already been going on."

A source said an investigation team had invited construction firms involved in the Rajabhakti Park project to provide information. "We are gathering evidence."

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said Udomdej had assured him the project was not mired in corruption and was ready to clarify all issues to facilitate the ongoing investigation.

PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha said the probe would nail culprits, if any. "But if the investigation is not yet concluded, don't point a finger."

Prayut dismissed speculation about a detention centre inside a military base in Bangkok because of two recent deaths of lese majeste suspects, including Suriyan, who died while in custody. "Let's listen to doctors' explanations," he said. Doctors have said Suriyan died of a blood infection.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Probe-into-Army-park-30272683.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-11

[Mango Bob]

The military is covering up of who ask for kick backs from the firms who builder the statues.

[cobbler]

There are so many negative post these days about the PM, Coup and almost everything ! If I was an Expat and the unhappy here I would pack my duffle and shpw my Donkey to Costoms and go. By the way, I am an expat who is glad to see someone trying to clean up the many, many years of corruption that has become a Cancer in Thailand.

If you are a Thai and sat on your hands all these years and kept the same corrupt people in power, then you are part of the problem.

Let the General/PM keep flushing the devise until the water is clear, and if you can not handle it get your Donkey out of Dodge !!

wow finally somebody who can see through the mud. Not liveing in redshirtvill eh. Good on you for useing your brain ,not like so many of the sheep.

This is the cycle thailand goes through. The military cleans it up then the pollies destroy it all again

[yellowboat]

There are so many negative post these days about the PM, Coup and almost everything ! If I was an Expat and the unhappy here I would pack my duffle and shpw my Donkey to Costoms and go. By the way, I am an expat who is glad to see someone trying to clean up the many, many years of corruption that has become a Cancer in Thailand.

If you are a Thai and sat on your hands all these years and kept the same corrupt people in power, then you are part of the problem.

Let the General/PM keep flushing the devise until the water is clear, and if you can not handle it get your Donkey out of Dodge !!

wow finally somebody who can see through the mud. Not liveing in redshirtvill eh. Good on you for useing your brain ,not like so many of the sheep.

This is the cycle thailand goes through. The military cleans it up then the pollies destroy it all again

You both are a bit naive to think deposing an elected government is a good thing. Sadly, there is no side worth cheering for. The "cleaning" the military is doing is just to keep the inbred Thai elite in power. There has been no reconciliation and there will not be any under the current military authority. The PM is getting exactly what he deserves.

[cobbler]

Ok so just leave y/s in to continue destroying thailand. Thats what youre saying. She was controlling the media. So the bad things she was doing werent put on tv. Demonstration marches were stopped. Not a democratic government at all. Im not saying the other side is better ,. Thailand needed a clean up.

[Briggsy]

Almost every poster failing to understand the situation here.

This guy was the former army chief. His powers are now on the wane. He is not in Prayut's clique.

Many of his followers still in senior ranks have been moved to inactive posts. Some have been charged with LM. This guy is very worried.

[waldroj]

By their own admission, there where problems. Also, by their own admission, these problems had already been resolved internally.

While that sounds good, the blatant hypocrisy of this is that a crime was committed, AND the committee sought to cover up that crime. Is a cover up not a crime too?

Rather pathetic excuse that NACC are unlikely to investigate because only donations, not state funds, were involved. If so, what about the Bt1 billion the army are reported to have spent?