Politicians took Bt500m bribes for fire trucks deal

Some politicians involved in the overpriced purchase of fire-fighting equipment for Bangkok flew to Singapore to collect Bt500 million in bribes, a member of the Interior Ministry panel investigating the scandal said yesterday.

"We are gathering evidence against the corrupt officials," the official said on condition of anonymity. He did not say how many politicians were bribed or when it happened.

The committee will tomorrow wrap up its probe into the Bt6.68-billion deal for fire trucks, fireboats and other equipment for the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department. Its results will be forwarded to Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya before being released to the public in the next fortnight.

"Like other panels, we found the deal to be overpriced. However, on some points our results differ from what the Assets Examination Committee [AEC] found," the official said.

Earlier this year, the AEC concluded the deal was overpriced to the tune of Bt1.9 billion. It accused former interior minister Bhokin Bhalakula, his then-deputy Pracha Maleenont and then-assistant secretary Somsak Khun-ngern of corruption for their roles in the deal with an Austrian company.

The AEC also said there was evidence against former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej and the head of the fire department Police Maj-General Atilak Tanchukiat.

It found no evidence against incumbent governor Apirak Kosayodhin.

The member of the Interior Ministry's panel investigating the scandal said, "We have not ignored evidence against persons the AEC has not named as suspects."

Officials who had failed to co-operate in the probe will be named, the panel member said. Former Bangkok city clerk Khunying Nathanon Thavisin has already been identified as uncooperative.

"Although they are not corrupt they avoided giving information that could be useful," the official said.

Members of the police must take some responsibility for designing the specifications of the deal while Krung Thai Bank will face action for opening the letter of credit, he added.

The eight-person panel probing the scandal is chaired by Assoc Professor Veerapong Boonyopas, head of the business crime and money-laundering centre at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Law.

The deal can be traced back to 2004 when Bhokin, as interior minister, signed an agreement of understanding with the Austrian ambassador to purchase fire trucks, fireboats and other fire-fighting equipment.

Pracha and Somsak helped draft the agreement. Samak signed it just before his term ended.

Incumbent governor Apirak voiced concern but signed the letter of credit, without which the purchase could not have gone through, due to worries over legal repercussions and bilateral ties.

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