Uttaradit: The National Village and Urban Community Fund Office is being urged to look into the spending of a fund following several complaints about alleged threats against whistle-blowers and irregularities.
Prasong Uraiwan, chief of Muang district office in Uttaradit, said complaints about irregularities are piling up, with the most recent case reported in Phichai district.
Those in charge of the scheme, known as the Village Fund, must tackle the spending irregularities, he said.
According to the district chief, several members of the Village Fund committee have been caught stealing from the fund, but were let off the hook after returning the money.
"This isn't right," he said. "They should face legal action and if they have any positions in the village, they should be removed from their posts. Serious actions have to be taken to dissuade others."
Mr Prasong's call came after a group of villagers led by Boonyuen Ruangyoo in Ban Koh in Phichai district drew attention to suspicions of irregularities in the spending of the fund.
Ms Boonyuen and 62 others applied for loans worth 30,000 baht each from the Village Fund early this year only to be told that the fund had already dried up.
The 61-year-old villager said yesterday she and three others were afraid for their own safety after being told to report to police to acknowledge charges by a member of the fund committee.
She said the person led her to believe she was being threatened.
Pol Col Den Thongsichan, chief of Phichai police station, yesterday denied the investigators planning to summons Ms Boonyuen or any villagers over the issue.
