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Published on January 10, 2008

The AEC will today announce her fate, after it agreed witness testimony submitted by Nathanon was insufficient to exonerate her in the Bt6.64-billion deal with Austrian manufacturer Steyr.

The AEC will make a final conclusion today if Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin and former commerce minister Wattana Muangsuk will be implicated for their roles.

The deal was initiated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and involved the Commerce Ministry in a number of reciprocal trades between Thailand and Austria.

Five people, including People Power Party leader and former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej and two Cabinet members in the Thai Rak Thai administration, have been implicated.

Saowanee Asvaroj, a member of an AEC subpanel investigating another deal, this time involving Central Lab, said the full AEC meeting would on January 14 reach an initial conclusion into the purchase of laboratory equipment. Overcharging is suspected.

She said the Justice Ministry's Department of Special Investigation would be asked for expert help in the Central Lab investigation. Suspicious transactions of several hundred cheques and alleged money laundering are involved.

 The Nation