PTT Pipelines: State auditor vs. PTT, what next?

Govt auditors say PTT failed to return gas pipelines. PTT says no, they are mistaken. So, what's next?

BIG BUSINESS & LAW ENFORCEMENT

State audit says PTT must pay B32.61bn but PTT says no

11/05/2016
Apinya Wipatayotin

The highest courts & government audit agencies in Thailand say that PTT has failed to return all the gas pipelines it was required to turn over to the state.

PTT says no they are all mistaken.

So, what to do next?

The State Audit Commission (SAC) has ruled that energy giant PTT has failed to return gas pipelines to the state as ruled by the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC).

Therefore, PTT must pay 32.61 billion baht to the Finance Ministry in compensation, according to the auditors.

CABINET & AUDITOR-GENERAL FIND AGAINST PTT

A cabinet resolution in December 2007 found that pipeline assets belonged to the state, the Treasury Department, and requested PTT to return the pipeline assets to the state.  

The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) examined the entire process in line with the Supreme Administrative Court's verdict issued in the same month.

The Auditor-General (OAG) found that PTT did not follow the cabinet's resolution, concluding that the company failed to return all of the state assets to the Treasury Department, particularly pipeline assets, causing the government to lose 32.61 billion baht in revenue.

PTT FILED FALSE INFORMATION

PTT was also found to have submitted false information to the Supreme Administrative Court saying it had already returned all assets to the department deemed to belong to the state.

It filed the information despite the fact that the OAG had yet to conclude its examination.

PTT CLAIMS IT HAS ALREADY CARRIED OUT COURT'S ORDER

PTT's chief operation officer for infrastructure, Chavalit Punthong, says PTT, in fact, has already carried out the court's order including the return of state assets and pipelines to the government.

The company informed the court, both before and after its privatisation, of its assets under management and those which were returned, and the court issued several rulings saying the company had acted in line with the court's order.

In regard to the complaint that PTT did not wait for the OAG's assessment results before informing the court on Dec 25, 2008, Mr Chavalit said PTT submitted all information concerning its assets on Jan 31, 2008 but the OAG had never provided any further feedback over the issue.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

So if the courts and state audit agencies say PTT didn't hand over enough assets and PTT says it did, what is the next step?

A citizen's group, the Foundation for Consumers filed a complaint to the State Audit Commission (SAC) accusing PTT of not following the court's order.

A suggestion has also been made that the government file a petition to the Supreme Administrative Court within 60 days seeking the court's order to demand compensation from the company and reclaim the state assets after receiving the SAC's letter advising of the resolution.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/967473/state-audit-says-ptt-must-pay-b32-61bn

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