By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE NAVY’S DELAYED procurement project for a Chinese-built submarine was suspected to be riddled with corruption and kickbacks involving a civilian “keyman”, among others.
People’s MP Rangsiman Rome, who concurrently performs as chair of the House Committee on State Security, Thai Border Affairs, National Strategies & National Reforms, said today (Aug.8) the navy’s sustained plan to procure the Yuan-class S26T submarine with a Chinese-made engine to be installed aboard instead of an unavailable German-made engine specified in the purchase contract might probably involve graft and bribery via the civilian only identified by the initial of his name as Bor.
The questionable event in which commanding admirals ultimately insisted that the Chinese submarine be procured despite significant change of the engine type might probably involve some hush-hush dealing and under-the-table kickbacks with the taxpayer’s money at stake and with the help of Mr. Bor, according to the People’s lawmaker.
Rangsiman declined to elaborate on how the “civilian keyman” may have been associated with any admirals or others in regard to the S26T procurement project.
“The payoffs might probably have been handed out and already accepted. That’s why the whole submarine project could not be scrapped despite the unavailability of the specified engine,” the People’s MP said.
Germany was among the European Union members which had boycotted sales of military hardware and equipment to China, including the sought-after MTU396 engine for the Thai navy’s submarine.
The House committee chair said he has finally found the navy’s submarine project unacceptable since the quality of the Chinese-made CHD620 engine for the 13.5 billion baht S26T submarine has not yet been proven and certified by any world navies including the Chinese whereas Thai sailors would have to rely on it at their own risk.
Though the Thai navy has already placed about half the total payment for the Yuan-class submarine, a copycat of a Soviet-built, Kilo-class submarine, delivery of the Chinese boat has been repeatedly postponed by China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Corp. due to the change of the engine since the last few years.
The Chinese submarine procurement project was successfully put forward by former navy chief Luechai Ruddit during the time of a previous military regime headed by former coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and former deputy prime minister-cum-defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan.
Despite strong criticisms over seaworthiness, cost-effectiveness and capabilities of S26T in comparison to those of a second-hand German-built or a South Korean-built submarine, Luechai signed the Chinese submarine project just one day before he retired as navy chief in 2020.
CAPTIONS:
Top: A Chinese-built S26T submarine. Photoen.people.cn and published by China Daily
Insert: People’s MP Rangsiman Rome. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: A submarine. Photo: Thai Rath
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