The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has concluded there are grounds to allegations that former Bangkok deputy governor Jumpol Sampaopol and 13 others were involved in irregularities in City Hall's controversial multi-million-baht "Bangkok Light of Happiness" project.
However, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who was city governor at the time, is not among them.
NACC member Suwana Suwanjuta, who chaired an NACC sub-committee set up to probe the 39.5-million baht light show, said on Wednesday the full NACC committee had found there are grounds to the allegations against the 14.
Mr Jumpol, along with three private firms, is among the 14 investigated by the sub-panel for involvement in alleged budget misspending and collusion in the project.
Ms Suwana said the NACC is firming up details of the findings before forwarding them to public prosecutors in the next two weeks. The NACC will then announce details to the public, she said.
Asked if any person holding a higher position than the former deputy governor has been implicated in the probe, Ms Suwana said not to her knowledge.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said yesterday he has not been officially informed by the NACC. However, he wants everything to be according to the law and regulations.
The 39.5-million-baht event, intended to be a 2015-2016 New Year "gift" from the former governor to help boost the local economy, featured a tunnel of coloured lights at Lan Khon Muang Plaza in front of City Hall on Din So Road, and were shown for one month from Dec 30, 2015 to Jan 31, 2016.
The project involved 5 million LED lights and crystal light fixtures that critics regarded as a waste of taxpayers' money. The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) indicated from the start there were possible irregularities in the project's spending.
According to the OAG, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spent almost 40 million baht, derived from a budget kept for emergencies, on the light project. In addition, installing the lights had begun even before the name of the winning bidder for the project was announced. The agency also looked at MR Sukhumbhand's role before submitting its report to the NACC.
However, the NACC probe panel later said that MR Sukhumbhand was not among those being investigated because no link to him had been found in the irregularities and he had assigned Jumpol to head up the project.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoked Section 44 to remove MR Sukhumbhand and his deputies, including Jumpol, from office on Oct 18 last year after MR Sukhumbhand was suspended from work without pay on Aug 25 of that year amid allegations related to his administration.
