
The exposure of corruption allegedly involving government officials has become part of our daily news feed -- from embezzlement of state welfare funds for the destitute to stealing temple funds and misappropriation of a state budget for school lunches.
Early this week, more news of this ilk surfaced. This time, it involved misuse of the reforestation budget of the Royal Forest Department (RFD) back in 2010.
I won't tire you with lengthy details. In short, Thanya Nethithammakul, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), is now facing an allegation that he misused the 108-million-baht fund for a seedling and reforestation project during his time as director of the reforestation office under the RFD. It was claimed the seedlings could not be prepared and the saplings not distributed to the public.