A group of farmers in Ang Thong province, which has been refused payment for supplying food to four prisons, has threatened to stage protests outside Government House if the regime fails to help them.
The group rallied at a government complaint centre in Bangkok Wednesday seeking justice. Samruay Wongsanong, the group leader and head of the Wise Chaicharn Farming Cooperative, said the cooperative had won a concession to supply farm produce to cook food for inmates at four prisons.
However, he said the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) suspected irregularities in the supply of the food and ordered the money to be paid to the cooperative frozen pending an investigation.
He insisted the cooperative was in financial dire straits as it needs the money to pay its members who grew the produce. The probe has been going on for 15 months with no headway, according to Mr Samruay.
There was no indication as to when the DSI will conclude the case and decide whether to recommend indictments against any wrongdoers, he added.
Mr Samruay said if no progress is made, the cooperative members would gather at Government House for a protracted protest.
At the same time, he said the cooperative would submit a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha via the Prime Minister's Secretariat Office to press for checks on the money trail involving certain Corrections Department officials and related authorities who may have had a hand in irregularities in the supply of food to the prisons.
The suppliers include a number of private companies.
Mr Samruay noted the investigation by the DSI appeared to be slowing down.
