KHON KAEN: Santi Laoboonsa-ngiam, deputy governor of Khon Kaen, has vowed to launch a probe into a scandal involving alleged falsification of receipts for reimbursement at a welfare centre.
He said provincial authorities are gathering information about the scandal which was exposed by a group of four university students who were interns at the centre between August and November last year.
The students, from Maha Sarakham University’s humanities and social science faculty, lodged a complaint with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) saying they were forced to make fake receipts for 2,000 people, among them patients with HIV/Aids, for the reimbursement of 6.9 million baht.
“The province hasn’t received any complaints or petitions, but we’re not sitting still. We’ve collected the information and are ready to proceed,” Mr Santi said.
According to the governor, the issue has been reported to the NCPO, the NACC and the Public Sector Anti Corruption (PACC).
According to media reports, the students claimed that instead of visiting communities they were instructed to do paperwork including filling out forms for low-income earners and people living with HIV/Aids and signed the receipts.
Meanwhile, in Nakhon Phanom local authorities in Na Kae district are to hunt for culprits behind a faulty 72-million- baht garbage management centre which has been left unused for mre than five years, said Arthit Wongkaew, a legal official at Na Kae municipality.
The hunt for wrong-doers got a shot in the arm after the International Security Operations Command (Isoc) said it would look into the corruption case.
Being left idle for five years, the facility is just another white elephant project in Thailand. The case had been investigated by the Office of Auditor-General which found the facility to be a complete failure.
Located in Ban Phon Sawan on a plot of land covering 70 rai and designed to serve four districts – Na Kae, That Phanom, Renu Nakhon and Wang Yang – the facility’s operation was suspended two years after its launch in 2011 due to high costs. It was grounded since then.
Local authorities have been forced to switch to a landfill for garbage management but it cannot accommodate the large volume of garbage which amounts to 20 tonnes per day.
Mr Arthit said at least two senior officials are likely to be investigated over the garbage management centre which is owned by Na Kae municipality.
They face accusations of violating the procurement regulations, he added. A source close to the case said a municipality executive has been implicated in alleged wrongdoing and a probe is under way.
