IN BRIEF
Procurement scandal
Probe local firm's role: Alongkorn
Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Polabutr yesterday asked caretaker Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to investigate a local firm that was allegedly hired to fulfil the counter-trade requirement in the fire-equipment procurement deal.
Alongkorn said the export company, which he did not name, was paid Bt150 million by Austrian manufacturer Steyr Daimler Puch to broker deals between Thai and Austrian firms. However, it merely packaged information to create the appearance that the counter-trade obligation was being met, Alongkorn said. - The Nation.gas pipeline Court acquits protesters Protesters opposed to the Thai-Malay gas pipeline were acquitted yesterday of charges of assault and disrupting Trans Thai-Malaysia Co Ltd workers. Songkhla Court ruled yesterday to acquit Ali Sansuwan, 41, Phaosi Sa-u, 35, and 15 to 20 others because the people alleged to have suffered damage did not identify the defendants and it was not clear from interviews with witnesses in court that the defendants were guilty. - The Nation. student loans Fund acts to avert lawsuit landslide About 30,000 former students face being sued for failing to repay their debts to the Student Loan Fund, its manager Prempracha Supasamout said yesterday. To prevent this, he said the fund would arrange for out-of-court settlements between August and November in Ubon Ratchathani, Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Suphan Buri, Khon Kaen, Chanthaburi, Surat Thani and Songkhla. The first phase of repayments would be launched at Ubon Ratchathani Court, from August 22 to 24, he said. He urged students living in the vicinity to take the opportunity to negotiate repayments with officials to prevent court battles, to have a chance to repay their student loans within nine years and possibly get their fines lowered. - The Nation.
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