Thai Defence Ministry to investigate Army park kickbacks scandal

[webfact]

RAJABHAKTI SCANDAL
Defence Ministry to investigate Army park kickbacks scandal
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- IN THE FACE of growing public pressure, the Defence Ministry has decided to set up a committee to look into the Rajabhakti Park scandal.

At the centre of the scandal is Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr, who vacated the Army top post recently.

Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has to date suggested that the investigation by the soon-to-be-established committee might not cover his deputy, while Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has called on the public to not attack the whole Army.

"The accused stands innocent until proven guilty," Prayut said, adding that the public should listen to both the Army and Defence Ministry.

The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, meanwhile, urged the government to urgently engage relevant external organisations in the probe to ensure transparency.

The Resistant Citizen group lodged a complaint with police against those in charge of the Rajabhakti Park project yesterday, demanding that culprits be brought to justice.

Funded by about Bt1 billion in donations, the project has developed a grand park and erected huge statues of seven former Thai kings under the Army's supervision. The Army had handled the project until the Rajabhakti Park Foundation, headed by Udomdej, was registered on September 16. Udomdej retired as Army chief at the end of September.

Rajabhakti Park is located on Army land in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district.

"The defence minister has already instructed the permanent secretary for Defence, General Preecha Chan-o-cha, to set up a fact-finding committee," Defence Ministry spokesman Maj General Kongcheep Tantrawanich said yesterday.

He said Prawit gave the order to ensure transparency and also to clear up any misunderstanding.

Kongcheep said the Defence Ministry would announce later who will chair the fact-finding committee.

Earlier this month, the Army launched a probe into the Rajabhakti Park project. However, public uproar over the affair has lingered even after Army chief General Theerachai Nakwanich said last Friday that the probe found no irregularities concerning the use of over Bt1 billion in public and corporate donations to the project.

Prawit said yesterday the panel set up by the Defence Ministry would investigate military officers, not civilians.

Asked if the probe would target Udomdej, Prawit said he did not think so.

While Udomdej has kept quiet lately, he admitted previously that demands for illicit kickbacks from foundries were detected during the implementation of the project. He quickly added that the problem had been solved - with the kickbacks "turned into donations".

'Palm trees at way over normal price'

Resistant Citizen alleged yesterday there were several grounds to believe the Rajabhakti Park project was mired in corruption.

"For example, available information shows the project has bought palm trees for its landscaping at Bt100,000 apiece, while the market price is only at Bt25,000," this group said. It added that some palm-tree owners also said they gave trees to the park for free.

The group's representatives yesterday lodged a complaint over the Rajabhakti Park project directly with Crime Suppression Division deputy chief Colonel Siam Boonsom.

The move apparently aims to nudge police into investigating the Army and some top government figures, after the police force had stood idle for some time.

"We hope that culprits will be brought to justice," said Phansak Srithep, a Resistant Citizen member.

Siam accepted the complaint and said he would raise the issue with his supervisor.

In a related development, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) secretary general Sansern Poljieak said an agency team was now gathering information on the Rajabhakti Park scandal.

"I should get the report from the team before the end of this week. Then the NACC will consider the issue at its meeting next week," he said. "We will have to determine whether the case falls into our jurisdictions."

Pheu Thai Party urged the NACC as well as various authorities to investigate the project.

"Apparently, Army personnel have been involved and Army facilities apparently used in this project," the party said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Defence-Ministry-to-investigate-Army-park-kickback-30273657.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-25

[candide]

So a military fact-finding committee will be established.

[NongKhaiKid]

Corruption in the military , even ' traces ', can't be right, surely !

Anyway yet another committee will sort things out exactly as ' required '.

A Committee - a group of people who, individually, can decide nothing and who together can only decide that nothing can be done

[MaiChai]

Self policing?

[arthurboy]

Committee to be set up by Prayuth's brother.

Another good person, no doubt...

[shirtless]

Sounds like corruption , there are now three colours in Thai politics red yellow and green they are all corrupt.

[smutcakes]

Well an investigation by the army is hardly independent, and is not exactly going to say that the current Head of the Army was wrong is he?

Are they concerned there is a smoking gun out there somewhere?

[waldroj]

Yet another committee!

While is it pleasing to hear that public pressure has forced their hand, it is disappointing that it will only be an internal probe (again).

It will be very interesting to see if anything comes from the complaint lodged with the CSD. Could upset the junta if the police accept the challenge!

Those palm trees must be pretty special too.

[Emster23]

In related story, the army has order several tanker loads of white wash in order to spruce up their image.

[DLang]

Would never happen.

Corruption was a sole Thaksin trait.

Wasn't it?

[klauskunkel]

"The accused stands innocent until proven guilty," Prayut said

Thanks for that quotable piece of information

[Lupatria]

In these uncertain times, isn't it a relief to know we can all rely on a few predictable issues like the outcome of this investigation?

...the public should listen to both the Army and Defence Ministry. Reminds me to: Twin sons of different mothers

[z42]

"The accused stands innocent until proven guilty," Prayut said

Thanks for that quotable piece of information

[z42]

So innocent until proven guilty then. Well surely thats hypocrisy of the highest order as suspects are in many cases forced to re enact the crime they're accused of before even setting foot in a court room.

Hypocrisy, double standards, a whole ugly mess. And i am scratching my head as to how getting kickbacks from statues of royal figures doesn't fall under the lm laws

[trainman34014]

I sense another hub coming on....Thailand....hub of committee's !

[LannaGuy]

Djjamie and EnglishJohn will be in floods of tears

[Ulic]

We all know what the result will be. Just dust off the last investigation, change the

case number and names of those being investigated and then submit the nothing

found, no corruption finding.

[Srikcir]

"the Defence Ministry has decided to set up a committee to look into the Rajabhakti Park scandal"

This seems to be a concession to keep the NACC from investigating the alleged scandal.

If there was ever a needed reform for justice it is the need for an Independent Counsel that can investigate military actions with subpoena authority. Or simply enable the NACC to do so regardless of what internal investigations the military might propose.

[jaywalker]

Corruption in the military , even ' traces ', can't be right, surely !

Anyway yet another committee will sort things out exactly as ' required '.

A Committee - a group of people who, individually, can decide nothing and who together can only decide that nothing can be done

I saw the headline & immediately thought of this.

[noosard]

Another committee of family and friends paid to look the other way

Also keeps the unemployment figure down

That would have to be plus for the government

[tukkytuktuk]

"the Defence Ministry has decided to set up a committee to look into the Rajabhakti Park scandal"

This seems to be a concession to keep the NACC from investigating the alleged scandal.

If there was ever a needed reform for justice it is the need for an Independent Counsel that can investigate military actions with subpoena authority. Or simply enable the NACC to do so regardless of what internal investigations the military might propose.

If the military cannot agree with each other then maybe the military also need reform.