AEC orders review of decision not to indict BMA chiefs

The panel was told to look into whether Apirak and Nathanon should also be held responsible for following up the deal, originally approved by a Thai Rak Thai minister, following angry comments from a member of another AEC panel in reaction to initial reports that both would be let off the hook.

AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengrueng said yesterday the subcommittee was given two points for consideration - whether Nathanon should be indicted and whether should Apirak be held responsible for opening the Letter of Credit. No time-frame was set for the panel to reach a decision.

An AEC source said the subpanel discussed the exclusion of Apirak and Nathanon after AEC board member and Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka mentioned their roles in the purchase procedure despite their supposed knowledge that a reciprocal business deal with foreign parties required approval of the prime minister, foreign minister or the Cabinet.

"Nathanon should be held responsible for her role, given her clear knowledge that the deal was struck [illegally with be-tween the Bangkok Metropo-litan Administration and Austrian manufacturer Steyr Daimler Puch] with the approval of the TRT minister," the source alleged.

Apirak's responsibilty for his role in getting the credit available was in the same category of wrongdoing -knowingly proceeding with an already illegal procedure, the source said.

Apirak declined to comment when asked in an interview earlier whether he would be left out of the scandal surrounding the Bt6.7 billion deal because "he was on the same side with the AEC and Council for National Security".

The source said some subpanel members tried to defend Nathanon but did not win sympathy from the majority. One member proposed that both be given immunity in return for testifying against other wrongdoers, but the idea was dismissed.

Busarakham Sinlapalavan,

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation