Irregularities have been found in the distribution of welfare allowances for the poor in 53 provinces, with all 20 provinces in the Northeast affected.
The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has been investigating possible corruption involving the budget for the poor of 123.2 million baht in fiscal 2017 at 76 protection centres for the destitute across the country.
The centres are under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
Lt Col Korntip Daroj, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), said on Monday irregularities were found in four more provinces -- Loei, Chon Buri, Phuket, Pattani -- over the past two weeks, bringing the total provinces affected by graft to 53 (see map below).
“The damage totalled 107 million baht, or 87% of the budget allocated to all 76 provincial centres for the destitute,” he said.
PACC accepted cases in nine provinces for further investigation while those in another 23 are being checked. The two groups account for 13% of the budget.
The PACC hopes to finish checking the priority provinces -- those with a budget of more than 1 million baht each -- by Saturday. A probe into the centres in the remaining provinces should be done by May 31, Lt Col Korntip said.
Several methods were used to embezzle the funds. In some provinces, all documents were forged and the intended recipients got nothing while in others some papers were forged and some received the money.
In some provinces, some of the recipients were not qualified. In some cases, the money was given only when the probe began and the recipients were instructed to inform investigators they had received the money in full.
The PACC is also investigating the distribution of welfare funds of the ministry’s other units -- self-built communities (those allowed to live on and develop vacant state land), development centres for hill tribes people, project coordination centres and shelters for the destitute -- which together receive 125 million baht.
They have found irregularities at Chiang Phin self-built community in Udon Thani (7 million), which the PACC accepted for investigation.
For Huai Hwang self-built community, also in Udon Thani, 5 million baht was affected and the case was sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)
The case involving the Ubolratana Dam self-built community (11.7 million baht) was also sent to the NACC.
The PACC normally handles cases of corruption and malfeasance against lower-ranking officials while the National Anti-Corruption Commission takes care of cases against politicians and high-ranking officials.
