House committee threatens summons over PTT row

The House energy committee is threatening to invoke an act of Parliament to issue a summons on those implicated in a PTT scandal, after a no-show yesterday.

Democrat MP Montree Panoinond, chairman of the committee, said the summons would be issued if they do not come to the next hearing, which is not yet scheduled.

The committee is acting on a petition by Mallika Boonmetrakul, deputy spokeswoman of the Democrat Party, for an investigation into the suspected irregular awarding of public relations projects by PTT.

Two companies were named in the petition, including Thai Consultant Public Relations Co. Nattawut Saikua, a Pheu Thai MP and deputy agriculture minister, co-founded the company and was one of the parties invited to testify. The other company was Active Construction Co.

Nattawut said he was occupied with business and could not attend the hearing. Thai Consultant and Active Construction said in a written document that PTT should be the best party to explain the issue.

According to Mallika, PTT appointed Thai Consultant as its adviser for 17 PR projects for its natural-gas business. Of the total, PTT opted to award 14 projects under a special approach while only three were put up for bidding. She questioned whether this was a sign of collusion.

At the first session yesterday, Nattawut did not show up, nor did an executive of Active Construction. Joining the testimony was Jira Chomhimvet, a manager of PTT's gas business.

Jira told the committee that there were 13 projects undertaken from 2001 to last year, including 10 that were awarded under a special approach. He said the projects were awarded to several companies that showed no connection in terms of directors, according to a document attached with the price quotations.

The official company registration document also did not show the names of shareholders, he said, while insisting that he had no knowledge of whether the companies were connected.

Pheu Thai MP Pairoj Tanbanjong, vice chairman of the committee, said the issue should be forwarded to the House of Representatives committee on corruption or the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Pheu Thai MP Apiwan Viriyachai, a panel member, said the committee should also find out whether anything unscrupulous was involved in the process.