Sigve Brekke, CEO of Total Access Communication (DTAC), has been in Thailand long enough to know that. He might not have intended to use the power of money, but money has worked its way in his favour.

Everybody knows that DTAC and TOT have been in a legal row over the access charge for old and new phone numbers. But that is about to change following DTAC's donation on Monday of SIM cards and phone cards worth a total of Bt14 million to the Council for National Security.

Probably due to the huge value of the donations to support CNS's operations in the South, Brekke - a former deputy defence minister of Norway - finally made his way to personally meet CNS secretary-general General Sonthi Banyaratglin and his deputy General Saprang Kalayanamitr - who happens to be TOT chairman.

On Tuesday evening, Brekke approached the TOT board for a meeting. At the meeting yesterday, he proposed to drop the access-charge lawsuit against TOT and the board reciprocated by saying that TOT would let the court decide on another petition filed by TOT.

After the meeting, the board's spokesman said that what's done is done and TOT would be ready to talk business with DTAC in the future. Given that Brekke was quoted as saying "If TOT is not strong, private companies like mine cannot be strong," it is not surprising that the board was so pleased with Brekke. If all other companies would act like DTAC, that would be nice, a board member said.

But for the presence of Saprang in both organisations, the donation to the CNS and the talk with TOT would have been two completely different issues - not linked to show the power of money.

Less money, less sin?

The Cabinet's endorsement of a pay rise to military men working for the Council for National Security led to a hot debate yesterday. It was hot enough to force CNS secretary-general Sonthi Banyaratglin to say that none of the eight CNS members was among the beneficiaries. Still, this subtle nuance doesn't answer everything.

Worse, CNS spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd evaded the issue when he said cost of the coup was less than Bt1.2 billion - one tenth of the Bt10-billion tax bill Thaksin Shinawatra's children evaded. He also said the military spending was for the national interest, while the siblings' action was for their own benefit.

This raises a question: are they trying to eliminate all the sins committed by Thaksin by committing the same sins, but - what saving grace! - on a smaller scale?

achara_d@nationgroup.com