The Democrat Party yesterday accused the government of covering up the results of a US Justice Department investigation into the procurement of CTX scanners for Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Party executive Kiati Sithiamorn said probes by the US Justice Department, the

Thai Attorney-General's Office (OAG) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had yielded results that were not being acted upon.

He said the OAG sought information from the US on June 21 over its investigation and received documents dated May 18 that include the names of people and companies that are said to have received kickbacks in the deal.

The US document is said to incriminate executives of GE InVision Technology, as well as those with Thai companies such as Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), the ITO Consortium and Patriot Business Consultants.

Kiati said he wanted to know why the government had failed to take any legal action against these companies when the results of the investigations have been known for more than two months.

He said the OAG received documents from the US that clearly showed irregularities in the purchase of the scanners, as there was a price difference of up to Bt800 million from the actual price paid.

After Suriya Jungrungreangkit was transferred from his post as communications minister to deputy prime minister following the exposure of irregularities in the deal, the government signed a contract to purchase the machines directly from GE InVision at the same price of Bt2.195 billion, despite the fact that the machines cost around Bt800 million less.

"The government has to come out and say who pocketed this [difference in the] amount of money," said Kiati.

The DSI also found that Patriot Business received Bt643 million in six payments from ITO.

Worapoj Yasadatt, the chief executive of Patriot Business, is said to have used the money to purchase four rai of land on Rajapruek Golf Course costing Bt80 million, six houses with land costing Bt60 million, Bt50-million worth of trees, nine cars costing Bt26

million. He used Bt200 million for bank guarantees and Bt70 million to pay tax, while Bt100 million is in bank accounts held by him and his wife, reports say.

Kiati said the Bt643-million transaction went through a series of people, including senior judges, businessmen and bank officials even though they were not involved in the purchase of the machines.

He said the DSI completed its investigation on August 31 last year but failed to take any action against those involved.

Kiati said the Revenue Department also failed to check Worapoj's tax payments. He had checked with the Commerce Ministry and found that Patriot Business had not presented its balance sheets and statements for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

"This is a scandalous purchase at the international level but the government has chosen to cover it up. It is impossible that the prime minister or Suriya do not know about the investigation results.

"We cannot help but think that the [caretaker] PM chooses not to take action," he said.

Kiati said the US Justice Department documents named InVision executives David M Pillor and Hock Kee Wee, the firm's regional executive, as being involved in the deal.