Theerachai: No corruption in Rajabhakti

Army investigates itself & finds nothing wrong. No soldiers involved, accounts balance, but ask Gen. Udomdej about alleged commission fees. Army affair, no need for National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

MILITARY & CORRUPTION

Theerachai: No corruption in Rajabhakti

20/11/2015
Online Reporters

The army's panel has found no corruption in the Rajabhakti Park project, said the army commander-in-chief on Friday.

Gen Theerachai Nakvanich said the committee found no irregularities in its books.

"The operation was transparent. All incomes and expenses matched," he told reporters in an informal session where live broadcast was not allowed.

The army set up the panel a week ago at the height of the project's corruption scandal, presumably to look into the allegations.

When asked on Friday what exactly the committee had probed, Gen Theerachai said it was set up to look into the accounts of the project.

"Since I have to take over the project from now on, I have to know what I inherited and what has been done."

ASK GEN UDOMDEJ ABOUT COMMISSION FEES

The general, however, refused to give details at the heart of the scandal - the alleged commission fees some contractors claimed to have paid.

Instead, he told reporters to ask his predecessor, Gen Udomdej Sitabutr, since the irregularities had happened before he took over.

NO MILITARY OFFICERS FOUND TO BE INVOLVED

"Based on our inspection, we have not yet found any military officer involved in corruption. However if any additional inquiry finds there was corruption, we will investigate it further,"  General Teerachai said.

"There is an outstanding 33 million baht in donations [to the army] now, excluding the funds held by the Rajabhakti Foundation, which is a separate entity.

General Teerachai also urged the public to apply discretion when reading the news, especially on social media, and to not believe in everything they read.

The army will continue to look after the project.

He confirmed as true reports about a fund-raising event where a Chinese-food table cost 1 million baht each, as well as 300,000-baht palm trees provided by Nong Nuch garden.

ONLY ARMY AFFAIRS, NOT ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION'S 

"However, these are the army's affairs and we don't need to involve anyone including the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAAC) or the Comptroller's General's Office," he said.

Located on the army's land in Hua Hun district of Prachuap Khiri Khan, the 221-rai park showcases the statues of former Thai kings. Seven have been built to date. The construction was financed by public donations.

COMPANIES CASTING STATUES SAID THERE WAS CORRUPTION

There were reports last month about possible corruption in the project's construction after the casters of the statues told police they had paid millions of baht in commission fees to a civilian who sat on the construction committee.

Col Kachachart, a former aide to Gen Udomdej, and a major general were also reportedly involved.

The colonel was rumoured to have been in custody this week but authorities denied the reports, saying he remains on the run.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/771424/theerachai-no-corruption-in-rajabhakti

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1447999493

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