OAG, NACC tighten their grip on Watana

Watana Muangsook

Established by the Council for National Security, the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) was the first to look into Watana's alleged corrupt behaviour, and asked the OAG to prosecute him.

When AEC's term ended, the case was passed on to the NACC.

However, finding the case incomplete, the OAG had 10 of its members work alongside with NACC staff to make the case stronger.

"The panel has completed the report, and has more evidence to support the allegations," NACC spokesman Klanarong Chanthick revealed yesterday.

According to him, the report has been forwarded to the attorneygeneral before it goes on to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

In another case, NACC has found Suwit Dejphumee - chair of the Sakon Nakhon Provincial Administrative Organisation in 1999 - guilty of corruption.

NACC member Prasart Pongsivapai said Suwit used his position to push forward a project to provide mosquito nets for locals in Sakon Nakhon's Wanon Niwat district before he and his accomplices fixed the bidding process.

Suwit and Weerasak Lahpisal, also a member of the administrative organisation, had their accomplices create a company to bid for the Bt1.83million project. Then they used fake documents to tender noncompetitive bids on behalf of two other suppliers, thus winning the bid themselves.

Later, they contracted a supplier to produce the nets at a cost of just Bt818,625.

"Suwit and Weerasak will face criminal action," Prasart said, adding that the case had already been forwarded to the attorneygeneral.