DSI asked to probe St Gabriel's Foundation over donations

The Network of Parents and Youth will today ask the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to investigate the use of cash donations by the St Gabriel's Foundation.

The foundation has come under public scrutiny after one of the schools under its supervision, Assumption College (AC), became embroiled in a scandal earlier this year.

"We hope the DSI will look into whether the foundation misused donations," the network's adviser, Asst Prof Wiwatchai Kulamard, said yesterday.

Earlier this year, AC teachers protested against the school's then director, Anant Prichavudhi, over his handling of several issues, including his refusal to raise their pay in line with the Education Ministry's policy and his backing of a project to develop Assumption's Rama II campus.

Anant was removed from his post earlier this week after he reacted to an imminent rally by ordering classes suspended for more than one week.

According to many sources, the Rama II campus project was allocated a budget of well over Bt2.5 billion.

In a related development, the new director of AC yesterday convened a meeting of teachers in an effort to create better understanding and to call for teachers' help in restoring the school's reputation.

Established more than a century ago, AC is one of the country's most famous boys-only schools.

The foundation has set up a fact-finding committee to look into the problems at AC. General Akaradej Sasiprapha, who chairs the St Gabriel's College Alumni Association, is the committee's chairman. Committee members include Jiran Suwanpradub, an independent lawyer and a representative of the Office of Private Education Commission.

The office's acting secretary-general, Charnwit Tapsuphan, said his office had also set up a panel to look into Anant's order to suspend classes. He expected to get the results of the committee's preliminary probe by February 11.