She said she had no idea how an information-technology project had been carried out and become intermittently on and off during its previous implementation by a college and currently CAT Telecom Plc.

Pornthip said she did not know why CAT Telecom was finally awarded the contract, although the agency failed to meet 60 conditions of specifications in its terms of reference.

The project was first implemented by the King Mongkut Institute of Technology, Lat Krabang, but was later dropped for reasons Pornthip did not mention.

She said CAT Telecom had tried to alter the terms of reference several times and finally tried to abort the project. The Office of the Auditor-General is now taking a look into the contract, Pornthip said.

On Tuesday, three senior Justice Ministry officials launched a joint verbal attack against Pornthip for her inclusion of their names as suspected wrongdoers in corruption cases.

Corrections Department director-general Nathee Chitsawang said Pornthip mentioned corruption scandals in his department on Monday because he was part of a new committee handling a disciplinary investigation into her own alleged wrongdoings.

Nathee said four investigation panels had found Pornthip and Manit Suthaporn, Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary, guilty of spending money they were not entitled to.

"Dr Pornthip's mention of corruption within the Corrections Department is meant to divert the attention surrounding herself," said Nathee, responding to her statement linking three Justice departments with graft scandals. - the nation