AEC panel to probe labs deal

The Assets Examination Committee (AEC) yesterday appointed an investigative committee to probe 53 people, including Newin Chidchob, for alleged corruption in a project to control the quality of food exports, AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said.

An investigative sub-panel headed by Saowanee Assawaroj was appointed to investigate alleged corruption in the Central Lab project.

The 53 people include politicians, executives, directors and officials of firms that allegedly colluded to rig bidding for the project.

Newin, then agriculture minister, is accused of abuse of authority and violation of Article 10, 11, 13 of Offence involving State Agencies' Bidding Act (1999), Article 84 of the Criminal Law and Article 66 of the National Counter Corruption Commission Act.

Sak said the AEC fact-finding panel found irregularities in the project. Politicians changed the structure of the agency that ran the project from a public organisation to a limited company. The panel suspected politicians wanted to interfere in the project's management - if the project was run by a company, it would not be subject to state rules.

The panel found the project was launched in 2003 without a feasibility study to assess if the project was a good investment. The company's service was not popular because export goods still needed approval from state agencies to ensure quality and state labs offered a lower price for this.

Some branches of the company bought expensive lab equipment to check the quality of seafood but it was never used because the branches were located far from the coast and no customers wanted to use the service.

Sitthiporn Associates and Vichitchai Thonburi won the Bt1.6-billion deal to build the laboratory and buy and install testing units. But drafting of contract terms was found to favour certain bidders.

Sak said  a member of the committee determining the specification was closely connected with high-ranking executives of a company that sells laboratory equipment. The price of the equipment purchased by the project was inflated by at least Bt343 million because it was bought through several agents.

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation