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Published on September 14, 2007

AEC member and Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka praised the decision by the seven members of the subpanel, including chairman Prasert Bunsri. She said the AEC was ready to approve the decisions and seek replacements to continue the probe into the Bt6.68-billion deal.

"The seven members are all professional and I admire their good spirit. It's their right and decision to leave," she said, adding that the resignations would have no effect on the AEC's effort to scrutinise the scandal.

The AEC had twice rejected probe results by the subpanel that did not implicate Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin and former city clerk Nathanon Thaweesin despite their questionable roles in the procurement process, which was widely covered in news reports.

AEC chief Nam Yimyaem said he thought Prasert quit because of a difference of opinion over legal aspects in regard to the role of Apirak and Nathanon in the deal between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Austrian manufacturer Steyr Daimler Puch.

Nam said there were no conflicts between himself and Prasert over the latter's probe results. He said Prasert could still seek free counselling from the Attorney-General's Office to fight several lawsuits resulting from his work on the subpanel.

Of the seven members, Nam said Jiraniti Hawanont still served on the AEC while the six others had quit their overall AEC membership in addition to their roles on the subpanel.

AEC secretary Kaewsan Atibodhi said the committee would begin seeking new members at its next meeting on Monday.

Apirak declined to comment on the resignation by the Prasert subpanel.

Meanwhile, police submitted a report of their inquiry into BMA garbage-disposal deals to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on the recommendation of the Office of the Auditor-General.

Lt-Colonel Somkhid Bunthanom, chief investigator looking into the Bt9.58-billion contracts, said police were convinced that five people, including former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej, were involved in wrongdoings detected in the three deals.

He said police had compiled some evidence for the NCCC and would do more if requested by the anti-graft agency.

The Nation