AEC to sue for billions over ctx scanners

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri will be among those implicated by the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) in the CTX bomb-scanner scandal.

The AEC resolved unanimously on Tuesday to sue three groups of people for malfeasance, embezzlement and obstructing fair competition for a state project, and would seek Bt6.93 billion in damages, the panel's spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said yesterday.

Those targeted in the legal action consist of politicians in power when the CTX purchase took place, members of the executive boards for Airports of Thailand (AOT) and Suvarnabhumi Airport, private legal entities and their Thai and foreign executives involved in the deal, Sak said.

As for the attorney-general, who was deputy attorney-general at the time of the alleged misdeeds, the AEC resolved to file a separate corruption lawsuit against him, the spokesman said. He said the AEC had agreed Chaikasem's earlier argument that his involvement as a former AOT board member did not construe an offence under the anti-graft law was not convincing.

The AEC will submit its findings to the Attorney-General's Office so that the case can be filed with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division on Political Office Holders, Sak said.

The anti-graft panel found the price of replacing conveyor belts and installing the bomb scanners was Bt1.71 billion higher than the agreed contract, according to the spokesman.

Those implicated were found to have conspired to set contract terms to prevent fair competition in bidding for the project and keeping away other bidders, he said.

The AEC also resolved not to pursue legal action against 12 people earlier suspected of involvement in the CTX scandal, including former Royal Thai Air Force commander-in-chief ACM Kongsak Wantana, the spokesman said.