A COMMITTEE is being set up to investigate over 1,500 state projects worth more than 7.5 billion baht that a former village headman who has been arrested after a policeman was shot dead at a party in his house obtained, Naewna newspaper said this afternoon (Sep. 14).
Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, nicknamed Big Joke, told reporters after holding talks with Mr. Prajuck Boonyoung, the auditor-general, that it is necessary to set up a committee to investigate a business network of 1,544 mainly state construction projects Mr. Praween Chanklai, or Kamnan Nok, 34, bid and won since 2011 worth over 7.5 billion baht.
This committee will comprise representatives from the police, the Auditor-General’s Office, Revenue Department, Comptroller General’s Department, National Anti-Corruption Commission and Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission.
There will be a joint meeting next Tuesday (Sep. 19) at the Provincial Police Region 7 headquarters to divide the duties on investigating various issues including possible bid rigging, illegal bidding, dodging taxes, obtaining money illegally and the financial path used.
All the large number of projects have to be checked and legal action will be taken if wrongdoing is uncovered, he said, adding that with many agencies working together fairness and transparency is assured as doubts could arise if only one agency undertook the whole investigation.
If bid rigging is found then it would have to be checked whether any officials were involved but this is not difficult to do, he added.
In the past no complaints were lodged against Praween because no one dared to file one, he mentioned.
Pol. Maj. Siwakorn Saibua was shot dead and Pol. Lt. Col. Wasin Panpee was injured during the party at Praween’s house in Nakhon Pathom on Sep. 6.
Praween’s subordinate, Mr. Thananchai Manmak, or Nong Thapha, 45, had fled after the shooting but was tracked down in Kanchanaburi where he was shot dead in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Later Pol. Col. Wachira Yaowthaisong, Highway Police Division 2 superintendent, shot himself dead after being interrogated over the murder of his subordinate at this party.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate also revealed that surveillance camera clips from 13 out of 15 CCTVs installed at Praween’s house had been recovered from a wet server that had been thrown into a canal by one of his workers.
This evidence has been sent to the Provincial Police Region 7 investigation team with the quality of the clips being good.
Work is continuing to retrieve the clips from the two other surveillance cameras with this expected to be completed tomorrow.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Mr. Praween Chanklai after he was arrested.
Insert: Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn. All photos: Naewna
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