"The activation of the subcommittees, expected on Tuesday, means that the AEC work can now go at full steam," AEC chairman Nam Yimyaem said.

The formation of the new subcommittees happened after the AEC had drawn up its work procedures, seen as a road map to uncover graft violations allegedly committed by deposed politicians.

They will focus on corruption that plagued Suvarnabhumi Airport. Their priority cases include the purchase of the CTX baggage scanners, construction of tunnels for electric wires and the rail link project.

Kaewsan Atibhodi, the committee's secretary, yesterday was upbeat about unmasking the culprits in suspected irregularities in the procurement of CTX explosives scanners for Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"The AEC has been sufficiently empowered to crack down on graft cases involving the deposed government," he said.

Kaewsan, a former Bangkok senator, said the AEC was making satisfactory progress in uncovering evidence in the CTX procurement case.

Based on one lead, the AEC suspected foul play over a Bt600-million discrepancy between the budget actually disbursed and the estimated price tag, he said.

The AEC will build its

cases based on evidence and refrain from framing culprits, he said.

Former senator Pratin Santiprapop, who chaired a hearing on the CTX case, said his investigation report contained sufficient evidence for prosecution.

The report had virtually built a strong case of corruption and the AEC and relevant authorities could use it to bring the culprits to justice, he said.

In related development,

residents of an Ua Athorn

housing project at Rangsit petitioned the AEC to investigate irregularities in the awarding of the construction contract and the suspicious repossession of houses sold.

The Ua Athorn project was intended to provide housing that low-income workers could afford to buy.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation